Behind the Masks
by Crimson Rhage
Summary: When Voldemort's followers foolishly decide to attack, Harry Potter is done hiding behind his masks. It is time for him to step forward as the Master he really is with his lovers at his side. It is time to for him to reveal himself to the world and let both the dark and light side quail at his sight and wonder when everything changed. Slash, HP/SS/TMR, BDSM, Dark Harry
1. An Angry Master

**Disclaimer: No, these characters are not mine. As many are fond of saying, if they were the story would turn out very differently. Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling and I'm just happy to have a chance to play with them.**

* * *

Marvolo was sitting in his office completing the last of the day's paperwork. The fact that this war generated paperwork was something he never thought about when he started his campaign. Nowhere in any of the books did it say that being a Dark Lord comes with ridiculous amounts of paperwork; paperwork on the state of raids, the number of his followers, the state of their finances, and so on.

Just as he finished reviewing the last document for the night, he felt the wards rumble and was notified of multiple magical signatures apparating into his manor. The wards identified that all but one contained his mark. He sent his magic out to try and identify the unknown person when suddenly he felt their magic slam into his own. With a jerk of recognition, he fell to his knees with his head bowed and arms clasped behind his back. The magic was easily recognizable, and without a doubt his Master was angry. His magic was whipping around the manor in a domineering and possessive way and Marvolo hunched down further even as a shiver of pleasure raced down his spine and his cock twitched in interest.

He didn't have to wait long before his office doors were thrown open and his Master glided inside with five bodies floating behind him. He kept his eyes lowered to the floor and withheld his flinch when the bodies of his followers hit the ground. His Master said nothing as he circled around him, making Marvolo feel like prey before a powerful predator.

Finally, his Master stopped before him and jerked his head up with a hand tangled in his hair. Marvolo looked up at his Master, who was dressed in a deep green cloak with the hood thrown over his head, so only the piercing green eyes could be seen coming from its depth.

"Hello pet. It is a surprise seeing you tonight, yet not as surprising as being attacked by five of your followers was." His Master's silky voice entered his ears and made him shiver in pleasure and trepidation.

"Master, I didn't know anything about the attack and I swear it wasn't authorized," Marvolo gasped out while looking up into the commanding eyes of his Master.

"They are your followers, you are supposed to have control of them. Beyond that, I warned you pet, didn't I? I said that I needed to be officially introduced to your followers, yet I allowed it when you asked for more time."

Marvolo looked up helplessly at the words he knew were true, knowing he had no defense against them.

"I'm sorry, Master," Marvolo stated while lowering his eyes in submission.

"You did not trust in me. You did not trust in my judgement. You willingly gave yourself to me as my submissive. With your submission you put yourself in my hands, trusting in me to know what was best for you, mentally and physically. It is my job as your dominant to take care of you and protect you in all ways. And yet you let your fears and insecurities take over and ignored your dominant." At Marvolo's sharp intake of breath and widened eyes, his Master chuckled darkly, "Oh yes, I know exactly why you don't want me to be introduced to your followers. I know of your fear of being seen as submissive by your followers. Yet you didn't bring these fears to me and talk with me about your concerns. For that you have earned a punishment."

Marvolo knew his Master was correct, so he bowed his head and whispered, "Yes Master."

His Master stepped back and commanded in a firm voice, "Strip and get over the desk."

As Marvolo rose to follow the order he saw his Master take off his cloak, revealing the handsome figure of Harry Potter.

* * *

Harry forced himself to calmly watch as his submissive stripped off his fancy robes until he was left standing bare. He noted with amusement the worried glances that his pet threw at the Death Eaters on the ground. Even better was the slight blush staining those pale cheeks.

With a chuckle he reassured his pet, "Be calm, they are all unconscious and will remain that way for several more hours, by which point they will be in the dungeons. Now, I believe I gave you an order and you have only completed half of it." At the end his voice dropped down into a more dominate tone, making his little pet shiver in pleasure before he obediently went over to the desk and bent himself over it, putting his pert ass up in the air.

The sight of his very adorable submissive laying obediently over that desk, waiting for him to deliver his punishment made Harry's pants tighten almost painfully. With a deep, calming breath to settle himself he made his way over to stand behind Marvolo.

"Now, tell me why you are here, pet," Harry commanded in a deep tone. Before Marvolo had a chance to answer Harry ran his hand over the pale cheeks in a gentle caress, earning himself a shiver running through the man below him and a low moan.

"I failed to trust in my dominant and bring my concerns to him as I should. With my careless actions I brought danger to my dominant that could have been prevented."

"You are correct, pet. Our relationship is built on trust and yet you failed to trust in me. With each swat I want you to say the words 'I will trust my Master'. Understood?"

"I understand, Master." The words were whispered and Harry knew that Marvolo was mentally preparing himself for his punishment. He gently ran a hand over his pet's back, showing him that he still loved him and cared for him, despite his current punishment.

Once he saw the tense muscles relax, he started into his punishment, giving firm swats peppered over the pale cheeks. He paused long enough in between each one for his submissive to repeat the phrase he was told. By the twentieth one, Marvolo was writhing over the desk with tears starting to come from his eyes.

Harry kept going until his pet relaxed into the desk and truly gave himself up to his punishment. He stepped forward and knelt down so he was even with Marvolo's face. He gave the man a gentle caress and tender smile before leaning in for a soft kiss.

His voice was warm as he murmured, "Such a good boy. I am very proud of you for taking your punishment so well." His pet gave him an adorable little smile despite his wet cheeks and watery eyes. When Harry stood back up Marvolo lied there passively over the desk, waiting for whatever his Master wanted to do next.

Harry moved back to behind him and ran one finger down between the red cheeks and rubbed gently around the rosebud hidden in between. He smirked at the loud gasp from his pet and with a silently cast lubrication spell he pushed his finger into the hole. When the man beneath him started to push back on his finger he gave him a light smack with his other hand, causing a loud moan.

Suddenly the door to the office burst open and Severus came rushing in.

* * *

Severus had heard disturbing rumors about Death Eater activity and he wanted to get to Marvolo as soon as possible, before anything happened. He apparated to the manor and ran through the halls to his office, the most likely place to find the man.

"My Lord – " he started to say but quickly stopped at the sight in front of him. After a quick glance around the room to take everything in he dropped to his knees and clasped his hands behind his back.

He never thought he would come in to see his Master fingering Marvolo's very obviously red ass. He also caught sight of a couple Death Eaters laying on the floor unconscious and assumed he was too late in his warning. He didn't have long to contemplate everything before his Master was speaking.

"Severus, how incredibly rude of you to come bursting into another man's office without knocking or any form of permission. Who knows what could have been happening in here?" The whole time he continued to finger his pet and at his last sentence he placed a well-practiced thrust against Marvolo's prostate, causing a long moan.

Severus flushed and felt himself harden at the sights and sounds in front of him. However, he knew that punishment was very likely for bursting into the office and interrupting his Master. He simply hoped if he played it right he could get out of most of his punishment.

"I am sorry, Master. I heard rumors while in Diagon Alley of Death Eaters that took it upon themselves to capture you for their Lord. I came here immediately to warn Marvolo, although it appears that I was already too late."

Through the whole explanation Marvolo continued to moan as Harry wiggled and twisted his finger in the other's hole. Severus kept his eyes lowered submissively in hopes of pacifying his Master even as another part of his anatomy tried to stand straight at each moan.

Harry's voice was calm, as if he didn't have his finger shoved deep into his pet's hole, "Is that so? And tell me, boy, what excuse do you have for addressing someone else as your Lord?"

Severus gulped but responded immediately, "I did not know who else would be in the room, Master, and thought it would be safest to use the title in case another Death Eater was meeting with Marvolo."

If Severus was looking up the smirk that appeared on his Master's face would have sent a chill down his spine. "So what you are saying is that you knew you were in the wrong when barging into the office."

Severus knew he was trapped and gave the only answer that he could while hunching his shoulders down a little more submissively, "Yes, Master."

When he heard a whine from Marvolo and then a sharp smack he figured his Master removed his finger, and then spanked the other man for his sound of dissent. Severus was proven correct when his Master came to stand directly in front him.

"Stand up and strip, boy. Clearly you need a reminder that such behavior is unacceptable."

Severus did as he was told and quickly stripped and folded his clothes into a neat pile by his side. Without prompting he entered his ready position, with legs spread slightly past shoulder width, where it was just slightly unnatural feeling, his arms held behind his back, and his head held high but with his eyes downcast. The position was perfect for his Master to view him as he wished. No matter how many times he held this position he couldn't help the blush staining his cheeks at being so open and on display while his Master stood there and simply observed him. He had never thought of himself as overly attractive and so to have his Master simply stand and look him over was very embarrassing but also made him feel desired and wanted. He could never deny the heat in his Master's eyes.

He was forced from his thoughts and jumped a little when his Master wrapped his hand around his cock and squeezed lightly. When his Master raised an eyebrow at his reaction, Severus couldn't help the deepening blush at making such a simple mistake and losing his focus.

He whispered out a simple, "I'm sorry Master" and was rewarded with the hand moving and stroking over his sensitive member that was very rapidly becoming completely hard. Despite the pleasure rushing through him Severus locked his muscles to remain still, knowing he shouldn't move without permission, no matter how much he wanted to stroke into his Master's warm hand.

* * *

Harry spent some time playing with his boy, rubbing the weeping cock until it was completely hard and occasionally jerked for more attention. He also licked, sucked, and nibble on the dusky nipples, making his boy gasp and moan at the stimulation. Despite this he stayed completely still and Harry kissed him deeply in reward.

When they broke apart he heard a loud moan behind him and turned to quirk a brow at the sight before him. His pet was rubbing himself against the desk, clearly enjoying watching the two of them together. With a wave of his hand ropes appeared to wrap themselves around Marvolo's lower back and the desk, holding him pressed down and still on the desk. Marvolo moaned slightly louder at the feel and gently writhed for a few moments to test his limits. As soon as he realized he truly was stuck he relaxed onto the desk with a low moan.

Seeing that both of his pets were ready he led Severus forward to stand behind Marvolo by tugging on his cock like some type of leash. This earned him another beautiful flush from his boy at being treated in such a way.

When they were in place he kept one hand on Severus's cock, lazily stroking it, while his other hand went to Marvolo's hole and worked once more to open his pet up. Once he was sufficiently open he stood behind Severus, whispering another lubrication spell to ensure that Severus was ready, and then slowly guided Severus' cock into his pet's eager hole. Both men moaned at the feeling of being joined together.

Harry pushed Severus down until he was lying nearly on top of Marvolo, his arms resting on the desk to hold himself up.

"Now, I think it is time for your punishment, Severus. Hopefully in the future you will remember to be polite like a good boy." He smiled when his boy moaned and twitched at the words before bringing his hand down on the wonderful ass held before him. This time he was much lighter, not giving Severus a true punishment spanking. Both men knew that this was more of playing then an actual punishment.

He chuckled when his pet whined at each time Severus would push in, giving small mini thrusts as he flexed at receiving another smack. Soon Harry brought his left hand down to begin opening up his boy, gaining more moans from the men beneath him. He kept this up until he was too eager to push into his boy's heat to wait any longer. With one hand he quickly unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down enough to let his cock free. He wanted his boy to feel his pants rubbing his sore ass, knowing that while he was open beneath him, completely bare, his Master was fully dressed and taking his pleasure. With one sharp thrust he was seated deeply within his boy, feeling the delicious heat surround him.

"Neither of you will come. This is for my pleasure only." Both of his pets groaned at the order but neither said a word, knowing this was a part of their punishment. Harry immediately started a hard ride, making sure to hit Severus' prostate every few strokes, causing him to moan and cry out, twisting within Marvolo and hitting his prostate in the process.

He held out longer than he could have, wanting to torment his pets a bit more, making them almost desperate for release. Finally, he came hard with a yell but managed to hold himself up from collapsing down onto his two pets.

After a few moments to calm himself down and he stood up completely and moved away from the desk. Severus let out a whine from the loss and Harry happily gave him another swat on his red ass. Severus whimpered at the sensation and reflexively thrusted down into Marvolo, causing both men to moan. Harry reached down and jerked Severus back, causing his heavy and very red cock to slide out of his pet's ass.

Severus turned to Harry and begged, "Please Master, please may we come?"

Harry simply raised an eyebrow at the request. His boy knew better than to ask such a thing, especially after he was told already that it was for his Master's pleasure only.

It took a few seconds for Severus to realize his mistake, but when he did he immediately dropped to his knees with his head touching the floor and his arms clasped behind his back. Harry took a moment to simply enjoy seeing his boy in his supplication position. It made him look so beautiful, especially with the bright red ass.

Eventually Harry turned away, leaving his boy where he was, and went over to the desk where Marvolo was still tied down. With a wave the ropes were banished but Marvolo stayed still and compliant over the desk. Harry gently caressed his hair, silently showing his love, before helping his pet to stand up. As soon as he was upright he scooped his pet into his arms. He couldn't help his chuckle at the bright red blush staining his pet's cheeks.

"Stand, Severus, and follow me," he commanded before leading them out of Marvolo's office and into their bedroom a few doors down. Officially, it was Marvolo's bedroom since neither Harry nor Severus could live at the manor currently, but when they did get to spend the night they all stayed in that room together.

Inside Harry helped his pet to lie on his stomach on the bed and motioned for Severus to do the same. Reaching into the side drawer he pulled out a soothing cream and gently began messaging it into Marvolo's sore cheeks before doing the same for Severus. Both men gave appreciative sighs at the cooling feel and relaxed into the bed.

"Relax for a little while, my pets. I have to go and take care of the idiots still lying in the office. Once I am back all three of us have to talk."

Both men nodded and Harry didn't miss the look of trepidation on Marvolo's face before he turned and left them alone in the room.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I would love to hear what everyone thought. Although, since this is clearly marked with both slash and BDSM please don't give reviews about how much you hate slash and/or BDSM. Everyone is entitled to like their own things and if this is something that you don't enjoy, simply close the page and find something else to read. There are plenty of great stories on the site.**


	2. A Conversation Long Over Due

Once the door gently clicked shut, Severus turned on his side so he was facing Marvolo. The two men were far closer than any would have thought. Hell, they were far closer than _Severus_ would have ever thought. When he joined the Death Eaters, it was because he was so lost in his life. His best friend cruelly turned her back on him for a single misspoken word. Years of friendship were overlooked and destroyed and while Severus originally blamed himself he knew that he did everything he could to make it up to Lily. In the end, it was her that cast aside their friendship. His life spiraled out of control and it was Lucius who introduced him to the Dark Lord.

Back then, the Dark Lord was charismatic, promising protection, promising friendship and family. Severus was easily taken with the idea of having friends that were united and supported each other, helped each other. After being so easily turned away by Lily the Death Eaters seemed like a gift from Magic itself.

Of course, he knew that it wasn't all sunshine and daisies, filled with brotherly love and happy get togethers. At first, they truly had a purpose, they felt like they were making a difference. Severus felt like he was helping his world, helping get rid of prejudice against the dark. He didn't agree with a lot of the blood purity rants, not with being a half blood himself and former friends with a brilliant muggle born. However, he simply ignored these parts, only choosing to see what he wanted.

Sadly, things slowly changed. His Lord changed. The charismatic man was losing his charm. He stopped caring about what others thought, he became angered easily, especially at any difference of opinion from his own. His followers began to be punished more and more, slowly escalating in degree until it was common to be crucioed at the smallest perceived infraction. Gone was their leader and in his place was a madman that ruled them with fear.

Then that fateful night. The night everything changed. The shadow of his Lord went to the Potter's and was destroyed. Again, Severus' world collapsed and spun out of control. In this moment Albus Dumbledore found him and Severus did the only thing he could to survive. He spun a story of unrequited love for his once best friend and his devastation that he could not save her in time. When the old man asked for an oath he knew his only option was an oath for the boy. It would be seen as him wanting to protect the last piece of the one he supposedly loved while keeping him from having to directly swear an oath to the old man.

Now, though, he was free to simply relax in the same bed with Marvolo, enjoying the peace and companionship until Harry came back. He enjoyed these simple moments where there was no pressure from either man. He had so many masks he had to wear but this was the one place he could be himself.

Severus reached out and ran a hand down Marvolo's chest in a gentle caress. He did not miss the looks of trepidation on his lover's face when Harry mentioned needing to talk. Both men moved together until they were relaxing together with Marvolo's head resting on Severus' chest. It wasn't that Marvolo was submissive to Severus, even the thought caused Severus to snort in amusement. No, the two men were equal in their relationship and when playing it was up to their Master to decide who would be allowed to take a more dominant role, if at all. At this moment it was simply about giving comfort to who needed it.

This was something that he loved about their relationship; the ability to see Marvolo at his weakest and be there for him. While he never wanted to see Marvolo upset, he was honored that the man trusted him and their relationship enough to be this open about his feelings. He also knew he had Harry to thank for that. Without Harry none of this would have been possible.

Severus understood some of Marvolo's fears. He knew the man still held some shame for his submissive needs. He still felt that he shouldn't feel pleasure at submitting to their Master. Proving he was the best was what motivated him as a child and young adult. He was, undoubtedly, the Dark Lord, and while he may now be sane he still did not allow any dissention in the ranks. There was absolutely no doubt about who was in charge in regards to their side of the war.

"Marvolo, trust in Harry. You know that he will never simply take over. Even without you saying it out loud I know you have some image in your mind of him sitting on your thrown with you kneeling on the floor at his side, with a collar and leash like some kind of pet." When Marvolo stiffened Severus knew he was correct with his guess. "You know he would never do that to you, to either of us. He loves us Marvolo, and will always try to protect us, both from physical and emotional harm. Trust in him and hear what he has to say when he comes back. You know that he will let you voice your own opinion until we have a solution that works for all three of us," Severus reassured him.

Halfway through his little speech he saw the door open to their rooms and Harry silently step in. With Marvolo's back to the door Snape knew he couldn't see him so he made sure to continue speaking smoothly, not giving any sign that they had an audience member to their discussion. He felt a flare of pride and pleasure when his Master gave him a small nod at his actions.

* * *

Harry walked into his room after giving the house elves orders to throw the Death Eaters in the dungeons. He couldn't help his tender smile at seeing his two lovers curled up together. He loved seeing how close they had become. All three of them had come far from where they once were. His smile turned sad though at hearing what Severus was saying. He knew the fears that Marvolo had, but was hoping that they weren't so severe.

Quietly, he walked to the bed and climbed in behind Marvolo. His lover tensed at feeling the bed move, but relaxed when the familiar arms wrapped around him. For a while all three stayed silent and just enjoyed the companionship and gentle touch while they could. It was something they were starved of as children, where every touch was harsh and painful. They all reveled in it now; the simple ability to touch and be touched with love.

Eventually Harry spoke with a soft voice, "Marvolo, I love you so much, both you and Severus. All I want is your happiness and safety. If you have any doubt of that then I have failed not only as your Dominant but as your lover as well. I will never do something to intentionally harm you. I know you are afraid, and that is ok. We all have fears, even if we don't want to admit to them."

Harry could feel the slight trembles running through Marvolo's body but knew this was something that he had to hear. He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing much more darkly, "However, pet, I will not let you lose yourself to those fears. I won't allow you to push away all of the good things you have for fear of the unknown. If I have to take you over my knee and then hold you and tell you how much I love you until you get this message through your head I will."

Gently, but firmly he rolled Marvolo onto his back and hovered above him. He took the man by his chin to force eye contact. Looking deep into those ruby eyes he spoke firmly, "I care about you. I will protect you. I will keep you safe, from the world and from yourself. I will not let you hide behind your fears, pet. We are going to talk about this until all of us are content with the solution. Do you understand me?"

He waited while Marvolo looked up at him, eyes searching for any hint of deceit, confusion, or disbelief. Harry kept his eyes locked with the ruby ones, letting the man see his surety in his words, his conviction of their truth. It took a few more minutes until he heard the soft words, "Yes, Master. I understand and will try my best to move past my fears."

Harry leaned down and gave his pet a hard kiss, dominating his mouth and showing his pet how much he was desired. "Good boy, my very good boy," Harry praised after pulling back. When his pet blushed at the praise he chuckled and gave him another, gentler kiss before standing up.

"Now, we all need to talk. I am going to wait in the sitting room while you both get dressed. Meet me out there once you are ready." With those final words he stood up and left the room without looking back.

Harry only had to wait a few minutes before both men came out, Marvolo in black slacks and an emerald green button up shirt, and Severus in black slacks with a charcoal grey button up shirt. He had to smile at that, while Severus wasn't wearing only black he certainly got as close to it as he could. Both of them sat down in the armchairs next to his that were set up for easy conversation between the three. This was the common spot for them to relax and discuss anything they needed.

"Before we start, I have some ground rules for us. This conversation is most likely going to cause some emotional responses and we all have the tendency to lash out as a defense mechanism. However, I will not allow any purposely harmful comments against each other. If you need a moment simply say so and we can take a break to get our thoughts together. While this conversation is between us as equals, I will not hesitate to stop and give a correction if necessary."

He received a murmured "Yes, Master" in response to his words along with lowered eyes in a show of submission. With a smile he relaxed and continued on. "Today some of the lower ranked Death Eaters tried to attack me with some sort of idea of being brought into the Inner Circle as their reward. Of course, the idiots were a minor annoyance and easily taken care of. The deeper problem though, is that no one knows that I am on this side of the war. Everyone still views me as the light side's Golden Boy." The last words were sneered out before he continued more calmly, "The three of us have been in this together for almost three years now, it is time that we stepped forward, at least partially for the moment."

Severus was listening carefully, but his face was blank as he processed what he was hearing, waiting until he knew everything before giving any kind of response. Marvolo was much the same, but he held a tension in his body that was absent from Severus.

"As far as I know, Severus, you have not thought too much on eventually standing by Marvolo and I as we ruled over the Dark Side. I know this is because keeping your identity as ours was a top priority for all of us as long as you had to spy on the old man. You, Marvolo, have thought about it before. However, every time you start you get lost in your fear of what might happen and quickly push those thoughts away before really processing them."

At those words a snarl marred Marvolo's features as he opened his mouth in no doubt what would be a scathing retort on how he wouldn't let his fears overtake him, no matter their discussion not just ten minutes ago. Thankfully for him, he stopped short before he said anything and took a deep breath before controlling himself once more.

Harry smiled at his pet's effort to follow the rules. He was sure that some caustic remark was about to fall from those gorgeous lips, but he remembered the rules in time. He reached out and ran a gentle finger over the back of his hand to show he was proud at the man's control. A glance at Severus showed amusement dancing in those dark eyes and the smallest upturn of his lips at the other's almost mistake. Marvolo gave a fierce glare when he noticed the other man's amusement, but Severus just smiled a touch more.

Harry snickered at their antics causing the pair to turn almost identical glares on him while he simply smiled and continued with what he was saying, "I think it is best if I speak about what I envision for us and we can use that as a starting place for further discussion."

He received nods of approval, so he started with a soft voice, his eyes looking into the distance, "I see the three of us standing before the Inner Circle, with Marvolo's throne in the center, Severus' to the left, and mine on the right. I see the two of you sitting tall for all to see, so they know exactly who they are bowing to. On the other hand, I think it best if I wear a mask for at least the first few meetings, so they will learn to obey their newest Lord before they know my true identity. If I am introduced to them immediately I am sure we will have several duels on our hands and most of the Inner Circle will be out of commission for a couple of weeks due to their punishments."

While speaking Harry kept a careful eye on the others' reactions. He saw the pleased smirk on Marvolo's lips when his throne being in the middle was mentioned and the appreciative glint in Severus' eyes at being included as one of the Lord's that the others would have to bow to.

"During the regular meetings, I see Severus standing with the Inner Circle for as long as you are still actively spying on the other side. There are too many potential spies that could leak out knowledge of you standing with Marvolo and I." Severus looked downcast at that but soon hardened his features, as if he was not expecting any less.

Harry turned his full focus onto Severus and dropped his voice into a more dominant tone, "Severus, look at me." He was obeyed almost instantly, "I know that you think you have to continue your spy duties. You do not. At any time if you do not want to continue then you can stop and join our side permanently. Your happiness is one of my top priorities. We can get other spies in the Order if that is necessary. Never think that we view as anything less than either of us. You do rule at our side, that won't change. You are not one of Marvolo's followers anymore, so if it ever becomes too much simply tell me and you can put your spying duties behind you."

Severus smiled at him and said sincerely, "Thank you, Master. For now I want to continue with what I'm doing. The knowledge that I am gaining is very valuable for our plans, as is having someone so close to the headmaster. I also agree that it would be best for the outer circles to have no knowledge of my true standing in the ranks."

"Very well. Marvolo, do you have any thoughts on this?" Harry calmly asked while looking at his other dark haired lover.

"The loss of Severus as a spy would be a loss for us, but I agree that he should not be forced into that position if he no longer desires it. I also agree that it would be a danger for Severus to reveal himself to the general members while he is still a spy. I think the same is true for you, Harry. While I'm sure you will reveal yourself to the Inner Circle, for entertainment value if nothing else, it would be dangerous to reveal yourself to the rest."

At this Harry smirked in amusement, causing the other two to look at him questioningly. "I might be able to solve both problems soon. I am working on a secrecy ward, based on the fidelis charm, that would make it possible to hide certain information, such as names, appearances, and so forth."

Marvolo perked up at this, loving anything to do with magic. Severus also looked interested given that he made plenty of his own spells as well. Harry looked at them knowingly and nodded his head, "Yes, I will show you my notes, I'm sure that between the three of us we will have it working in less than a month."

Marvolo's smile left his face as he slowly looked more concerned and hesitant. Harry thought on how much he loved being able to see this vulnerable version of the Dark Lord who was not afraid to show his real feelings, not realizing he was mirroring Severus' thoughts from not that long ago.

"How are we going to handle running meetings now that there will be the three of us in charge," he asked hesitantly.

"Initially, the same way they are ran now, I imagine. I will comment here and there if necessary. If I disagree with one of your choices we can set up a barrier and even discuss it in parseltongue when it is just the two of us. I am sure that before the meetings we will discuss what is supposed to happen." He watched Marvolo relax at his carefree explanation.

They continued discussing the minor details for a little longer, wanting to hash out all the little things that might come up. Marvolo let his insecurities show by asking about several metaphorical situations and how they would be handled. Each time, Harry calmly explained how he wasn't going to simply take over or humiliate either of his lovers before their followers.

Finally, at almost midnight, Harry ordered the two men to bed. With it being summer the Dursleys wouldn't notice or care that he is missing and he already had a charm set up around his bedroom to fool the occasional order members that he was there, so he followed his boys into the bedroom and enjoyed being able to curl up with the both of them for a peaceful nights rest.


	3. Let the Games Begin

It was a week later before they were able to meet once more for their first Inner Circle meeting. Harry had to admit to himself that he was excited. Excited to finally stand next to his lovers, excited to finally take his place where he belonged, excited to finally be able to shed his golden boy masks and act how he wanted in front of others.

He had been hiding behind his masks for so long, long before he had entered the Wizarding world. No matter how much he despised the Dursleys, they had taught him his most important lesson; you can fool anyone if you have the appropriate mask. No matter how suspicious the school officials were, or even the one social worker, the Dursleys were able to bluff their way out of it, all because of the seamless masks that they were able to pull on for other people. When the world looks at Vernon Dursley they see a loving family man, someone who adores his wife and son, a hard working man, the vision of normalcy. Petunia Dursley; the dutiful house wife, seeing her husband off to work, making sure he came home to a clean house and a hot meal, a doting mother to her son, the perfect couple. Only Harry saw them behind closed doors, saw their cruelty, their hatred. Only Harry saw them for what they were, sick bastards that will do anything to destroy anything abnormal in their lives. Cowards who attacked a child for something he could not control.

Yes, the Dursleys taught him how to blend in with every situation. How to look cute and innocent and shy for an old lady to get a scrap of food, how to look innocently confused when confronted by an angry shopkeeper with accusations of theft, how to be eager and excited, gushing about books and learning for the librarian who would question a young child alone, how to be confident and assure of himself to ward off curiosity about the boy shopping for himself with no adults nearby.

So when a man came to tell him about magic, praising the great Albus Dumbledore like some sort of god and when he so out right proclaimed everything Slytherin to be dark and evil, something his _parents_ would fight against, he was wary. When a family of purebloods yelled loudly about forgetting the platform number despite having two children already graduated, and three others already in attendance he was suspicious. When the boy from that family his same age sat in his compartment with claims of everywhere else being full, when he saw several empty compartments on his way, he was already working out what to do. And when that boy repeated everything that the half-giant did, stressing the bravery of Gryffindor, and the evilness of Slytherin, well, he could see how they were trying to lead him where the wanted.

He let them think they won. Let them think that he was the happy, ignorant little Gryffindor that they tried to mold him into. He let Granger control what he was to learn and Weasley to distract him from anything academic with chess or other games. He went on grand adventures that they spoon fed to him throughout the year and cursed the Slytherins like an obedient Gryffindor, like the pawn that Dumbledore wanted.

How unfortunate for them, though, that they weren't nearly clever enough. Sometimes it was amusing for him to see how they tried to use their limited brainpower to try and fool him, especially Weasley. That boy lacked even the smallest amount of subtlety and was incapable of seeing it in others and the so-called brightest witch of their generation was just plain stupid. She was so easily distracted with compliments of her intelligence that she was easy to manipulate. Never did she notice when he transfigured covers of books to look like their textbooks or quidditch books. Any show of intelligence on his part was easily placated by saying he could have never done it without her. In the end, they only saw what he wanted them to see and soon they would be able to see who he truly was.

Harry pulled away from his thoughts and finished gathering the few packages he had bought specifically for tonight. He had a few surprises for his boys that he was sure they would enjoy. With one last look around his room to make sure he had everything set up for his absence he slipped his invisibility cloak on and snuck out of the house until he was a couple blocks away and then activated his port key that dropped him outside of Marvolo's manor.

It did not take long to walk up to their bedroom where he could feel two familiar magical signatures coming from. Upon entering he saw his boys sitting on one of the couches in the sitting room. They were sitting next to each other but very obviously lost in their own thoughts, especially given that neither man looked up when he entered the room. Harry smirked, knowing that he would be teasing Severus about this slip for quite a while.

He took a moment to observe the pair before gaining their attention. Severus seemed fairly relaxed, just a bit pensive, really. Most likely he was going over the plans for the night and making sure he had several plans made for different scenarios. It was one thing that always amazed Harry, how quick Severus' mind worked and how many plans he made for any given situation. As a spy it could be the difference between life and death. Glancing at his other lover, he was a bit more concerned. Marvolo looked like he was trying to calm himself down and hide all of his emotions. He could still see hints of worry, fear, and determination in the other man.

Harry withheld a sigh from escaping. It would seem that his submissive would not trust in him until he actually saw what would happen at the meeting. Both anger and sadness coursed through him at the thought. Part of him wanted to punish his submissive at the lack of trust being displayed, for the failure to actually believe in his Dom. Another part felt ashamed of himself for not already proving to his love that he would never intentionally hurt him. However, he knew that this situation wasn't any one person's fault. He could blame Marvolo's parents for abandoning him, the orphanage for never giving him the love he needed, Harry's own relatives for abusing a child, or especially Dumbledore for constantly turning away three little boys who just needed to be accepted for once in their lives.

Pushing his emotions back he stepped fully into the room, startling the other two men in the process. Quickly ducking to the side, he looked at the two men who had sheepish looks for being caught unexpected and for throwing out two fairly lethal curses.

"Now that is no way to greet your lover who comes baring gifts," joked Harry as he walked over and gave a quick kiss to each man.

"Presents?" queried Severus while trying to hide his look of interest.

Harry made a sound of agreement while pulling out three large packages. The package wrapped in black paper was handed over to Marvolo and the one wrapped in dark green was given to Severus while Harry kept the silver one for himself.

Before they began opening them Harry interrupted, "Nope, you don't get to open them with the other watching. Severus, go into the bathroom to open yours. There are instructions within to tell you what to do with it. Marvolo, go into the bedroom for yours and you also have instructions within to follow. I will be staying here in the sitting room. Neither of you are to leave your given room until I give permission."

Both men had wide eyes as they looked from their package up to Harry and then quickly answered with a "Yes, Master" before leaving to the room that was specified.

* * *

Severus eagerly went into the large bathroom to investigate what his Master had given to him. While others might be offended about having to go into the bathroom while the other two got to stay in the actual rooms, Severus didn't care. The bathroom was huge, easily the size of the bedroom itself. It contained a walk-in shower large enough for three to comfortably… exercise in before cleaning off and a separate sunk in bath that was closer to a small pool, again with plenty of room for all three men. In the other corner was an actual hot tub for them to relax in when they wanted something different from just the bathtub. Between the three was a wide open floor space. Severus smirked when he realized that the whole room was designed to have plenty of space for his Master to take them wherever and however he pleased at any given time. It was true enough that both him and Marvolo were bent over every surface in the room while their Master played with them.

Severus had to shake his head to clear the thoughts rampaging within and work on willing away his erection. With a deep breath he focused back on the dark green package he held. With quick motions he pulled off the wrapping paper and paused at what he saw within. On the very top was a piece of parchment covered with Harry's unique scrawl that was sitting upon a mask. It was similar to the Death Eater masks and yet still completely different from any he had seen before. The mask was pitch black with dark green and silver patterns woven in to look like two snakes weaving around the mask. Beneath the mask was a pile of clothes and a pair of black boots.

Now intrigued Severus set the clothes and mask on the counter and picked up the parchment.

 _Severus, within are the clothes that I want you to wear for this meeting. The mask is for you to wear only until your identity is revealed at the beginning of the meeting. Once you are finished getting dressed, mask included, send a patronus to me and I will come and fetch you. Do not leave the room until then._

Even more curious now Severus set the note to the side and unfolded the clothing, starting at the top. The first item were plain black trousers, nothing interesting there. The next item was again a plain black long-sleeved top. He took note of the lack of a collar despite it having cuffs on the wrist. The final item took Severus' breath away. It was a dark green sleeveless robe with silver accents. It had a mandarin collar with silver buttons down to the waist level before it flared out, coming to a stop at the knees. Severus knew it would be a perfect battle robe, giving freedom of movement and being short enough to not impede running or any other evasive maneuvers. Using his magic to probe the robe Severus could feel several protective charms woven in, some similar to his potion robes, such as charms against fire and acid burns, along with other charms to protect against blunt force trauma, cutting hexes, and other minor curses.

Severus eagerly stripped out of his normal robes and put on the new clothes, not surprised at their perfect fit. Harry often liked to buy them new clothes, sometimes whether they wanted it or not. Quickly buttoning up the robe he stood back and looked at himself in the full-length mirror. He could not deny the handsome figure he made nor the power that seemed to roll off of him. With a deep breath he grabbed his mask and placed it over his face, letting the magic imbued within hold it to his face. He let out a gasp of surprise when all that looked out of the eye holes was a pitch black void, barely distinguishable from the mask itself.

* * *

Harry quickly got dressed in his robes, which were a deep silver with black accents, along with the plain black shirt and trousers. He wondered if the other two liked their robes. All three were the same, just with color differences. Severus got the Slytherin colors of dark green with silver, Marvolo got to keep his black along with dark green accents, and Harry of course got the silver with black. His mask was also the same design as the one he gave Severus, except with his being a dark green with silver and black snake designs.

He waited in the sitting room for almost ten minutes before a silvery doe came through the wall carrying Severus' message. Knowing that the doe had to cross through the bedroom he wasn't surprised when only a minute later a silver basilisk came through with Marvolo's message of being ready.

Harry stood and quickly entered their bedroom, eagerly looking over Marvolo as the other man did the same. He had to focus on controlling himself before he pushed his pet onto the bed behind him and tore off the new robes to complete ravish him. Judging by the growing bulge, Marvolo was having a similar problem.

Before Marvolo could get it together enough to speak Harry called out for Severus to exit the bathroom. Almost instantly the door opened and his beautiful boy stepped out. For a while they just observed each other in surprise before Marvolo smirked.

"This will certainly surprise the Inner Circle. These robes are wonderful, Harry."

"Yes, they have a certain flare to them," agreed Severus as he took off his mask, "even though mine aren't black," he added jokingly.

Harry smiled at his love and joked back, "I figured that as the head of Slytherin you wouldn't be able to complain too much about wearing the house colors."

There was a flash of amusement on Severus' face before he put on a faux haughty look, remarkably similar to Lucius Malfoy, "I would never do something so plebeian as to complain. I simply show the truth of the world despite those too ignorant to recognize it."

Harry shared a look of incredulousness with Marvolo before bursting out laughing unable to stop especially at the indignation on Severus' face. After calming he walked forward to give him a gentle kiss before turning to look at both men.

"It is time we head down to the throne room and call the Inner Circle. Lord Voldemort, Lord Solanum, are you ready?"

At his words both men straightened up to their full height and donned an air of confidence, turning into the dark lords they were.

"Yes, I believe we are ready, Lord Hraefn," Voldemort responded as he made his way out of their bedroom and into the hall with the other two at his side.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you FireSenshi2 from for the name Solanum for Severus. Solanum is the scientific name for nightshade, which is a deadly poison. Thanks as well to everyone else that offered up names and ideas. I heard several good ones but unfortunately only had two dark lords to name. Also, I am not one for designing and/or explaining clothes so sorry if it is not clear what I am imagining for their robes.


	4. First Meetings

Harry was the first to walk into the throne room with Marvolo and Severus following behind him. He paused a moment to take in the change that had occurred since he had last been in the room. Upon the raised dais now sat three identical thrones instead of the previous one that sat there. They were a deep black with silver patterns swirling within. Giving a nod of approval he walked to the throne on the far left and sat down. Marvolo took his place in the center and Severus calmly moved to the last throne, taking a seat and surveying the room from his new perspective.

With a bit of a mischievous smirk Harry pulled his mask out from inside his robe and placed it over his face. His mask had the same effect of turning his eyes a pure black, making him look a bit demonic if he was honest with himself. Of course, that would only help with controlling the Death Eaters.

"Lord Solanum, place your mask on so we may begin," stated Harry in a cool detached voice. As soon as he spoke the other two men looked over to him and jerked slightly in surprise at the piercing black gaze that looked back at them.

As Severus placed his own mask on Marvolo nearly cackled at the sight before him, "Now that will certainly shock the Inner Circle. I wonder if it will cause any of them to break their perfect masks. Bets?"

Harry shook his head, denying the bet, "That is a suckers bet and you know it. Besides, just our mere presence at your side will likely cause the purebloods to crack. I certainly look forward to it." The last was said with a sadistic smirk that the other two copied.

"Well then, my dear Lord Hraefn, let us see how many you can shock into humiliating themselves."

With those final words Harry was able to feel Marvolo's magic flex as he actively called to his followers. He calmly sat in his throne, leaning casually back as he waited for the first ones to arrive. He took note from the corner of his eye Severus sitting tall in his own throne and Marvolo appearing to be calm yet unable to hide the small ticks that showed he was nervous such as the slight fidgeting of his pinky finger or his foot twisting just enough to be visible if someone was looking for it.

It took three minutes for the first man to enter the throne room. Since only an Inner Circle meeting was called, the normal mask was not required, so he was able to watch as Lucius Malfoy almost tripped and openly stared at the two extra thrones before the lightest flush covered his face before he hurriedly continued to his place with a blank mask covering his emotions once more.

It was only through a force of will and strong occlumency shields that Harry was able to sit silently in his throne without bursting out laughing at the composed blonde _blushing_. That was far better than he ever imagined it being. He could only hope that Bellatrix had a similar reaction, although he suspected hers would be a much more violent reaction given the way she worshipped Marvolo.

Lucius stayed silent while surreptitiously looking back and forth between all three men sitting before him. He was rapidly joined by Teodred Nott, Avery Sr., Bellatrix, Rabastan, and Rodolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Barty Crouch Jr, and Augustus Rookwood. All of them had similar reactions as Lucius yet they were able to stand silently and wait until they were addressed. It was nice to know that Marvolo had them so well trained.

As planned, Marvolo stood and addressed the nine Death Eaters below.

"As you can see, there have been a few changes. For several months now we have had two allies working behind the scenes towards our goals. It is time now that they both stepped forward and take their proper place within the ranks. Both are my equals and you _will_ act as such. To my left is Lord Solanum and to my right is Lord Hraefn."

Severus and Harry stood as they were introduced and watched as the others tried to process what they were being told. Meanwhile, Marvolo glared down at his followers, daring them to question his words. They were able to stay quiet, still unsure of how to behave in this unforeseen circumstance.

"You will be allowed to know the true identity of Lord Solanum. However, my own identity will remain a secret until we are sure that you can be trusted with it." That caused a reaction, although it was an equal mix of excitement to know Lord Solanum's identity and anger at having their loyalty questioned.

He watched on in surprise when none of them reacted more than that. To be honest with himself, he had expected a loud outburst by this point. He supposed it could be possible that they were still too shocked to actually cause a problem. Hopefully, at least one would act out when Severus was revealed. He really was looking forward to punishing them.

"Lord Solanum, if you would?" Marvolo prompted while Harry concentrated on watching the Death Eaters reactions. He knew the instant that Severus took his mask off by the emotions on the others' faces. Confusion, jealousy disgust, and even outright hatred on one.

"No! I refuse to bow down to some half blood filth! He does not deserve to stand next to your greatness, my Lord. He is but filth beneath your boot!" Bellatrix's rant was quickly cut off by three identical beams of red hitting her. Harry had to resist casting the killing curse immediately, instead restraining himself to the _Cruciatus_ curse, even when he wanted to do much worse for the words she dared speak against his lover.

The rest of the Inner Circle remained silent and still while the punishment was being delivered, not wanting to catch the angry Lords' attention themselves. They could only guess at the pain Bellatrix must be in while under three _Crucios ._ All of them knew the pain of being under their Lord's _Crucio_ , and that pain was enough to make them cower in fear.

After a full minute both Marvolo and Severus cancelled their spells and sat back down, but Harry kept his on for five more seconds before also ending it and taking his seat once more. By this point Bellatrix was a crying, twitching mess on the floor, her whimpering the only sound in the otherwise silent hall.

On his throne, Harry felt satisfaction at seeing the bitch brought down so low. His fellow Lords had similar looks of satisfaction as they looked over their work.

Finally, Marvolo spoke once more, his voice low and dangerous, "Would anyone else like to voice their opinion on their new Lord?"

The response was immediate, all of them whispering out "No, my Lord" in a subdued voice, not wanting to gain any attention to themselves individually. They kept their heads bowed, not wanting to make eye contact and further angering their Lord.

Very slowly Teodred Nott stepped forward and dropped to one knee, a sign that he wished permission to speak. Normally such procedure was not required within an Inner Circle meeting, however with their Lord already angry it was best to be cautious.

Harry and Severus stayed silent, waiting for Marvolo to decide if he wanted to grant Teodred permission, or, Harry thought humorously, if he wanted to punish the man for daring to draw attention to himself.

It was a tense few seconds before Marvolo gave permission for the man to speak.

"My Lord, what is the proper form of address for our new Lords?"

This was one of the many questions that they had planned for so Severus smoothly answered, "When referring to any of us individually you will address us as 'my Lord'. If you need to make a distinction between us then you may use our proper title, such as 'Lord Hraefn'."

"Thank you, my Lord," Teodred murmured before standing back up and taking his place in line once more. Harry was pleased with his obedience and the respect he was showing to his new Lord. He made a note to keep an eye on the man. There was no doubt that he was unquestionable loyal to Marvolo, being the very first Death Eater to be marked by the man when he first gathered followers. It appeared that loyalty would be given to his two new Lords as well. Of course, respect didn't necessary mean loyalty.

The next one brave enough to step forward was Lucius, although the calculating gleam in his eye put Harry on edge.

"My Lords, what should we do if we receive conflicting orders?" Harry immediately flicked his wand and a red beam impacted into the blonde's chest, quickly followed by two more. Lucius screamed and collapsed completely onto the ground, writhing with the pain. They left it on for only a few seconds, enough to show their displeasure at his actions.

"Be very careful with your scheming, Lucius," Harry growled out behind his mask. "You will not get us to turn on one another and if you try something similar you will be given a much harsher punishment than what you just experienced. However, so there is no chance for you to plead ignorance in the future, if one of us gives you an order that contradicts a previous order than you will respectfully tell us what you were previously ordered. In the end, you will _always_ obey they most recent orders no matter which of us they come from. You are not privy to all of our discussions and we do not need to explain ourselves to you."

The Death Eaters cringed back at the angry magic that was seeping from him and Lucius was keeping his eyes on the floor while keeping perfectly still.

Voldemort sneered down at the man, "Get up, Lucius, and get back in line." He watched as the Malfoy Lord gave up all pretense of grace or propriety and scrambled to his feet and his place in line, fearing any second of hesitation would lead to another painful bout of the _Cruciatus_ curse.

"Now, Lord Solanum's true identity is to be a closely guarded secret. Since he will continue to spy on the old fool there cannot be _any_ rumor of his true standing within our ranks. During regular meeting Lord Solanum will continue to stand with the Inner Circle until such a time his true rank can be revealed to all. Before you are allowed to leave here, you will all take a vow to never reveal his identity without one of ours direct permission."

Harry watched their reactions as Marvolo spoke and he was pleasantly surprised by what he was seeing. While not everyone looked pleased with the idea of having to bow down before Severus Snape it didn't appear that any of them would try to protest it any farther, especially when Bellatrix was still collapsed onto the floor twitching, though she was silent by this point.

Harry took up the instructions for the next part, "There are only two last matters to be seen to before this meeting will be called to an end; your mark and your oath." He enjoyed the uncertain looks they shared with each other before continuing, "Your existing dark mark will be added to by both myself and Lord Solanum. The beauty of the new mark is that unless someone knows what to look for they will not be able to see the new additions. Each of you will be called forward to give your loyalty oath, your vow of silence in regard to Lord Solanum, and then receive your new mark."

They were smart enough at this point to not protest this plan and just give their agreement while waiting to be called forward.

Harry and Severus stood and moved together while pulling out their wands. "Teodred, I find it fitting that you be the first to receive the new additions to your mark as you were the first to receive the Dark Mark in the beginning."

The man quickly approached the dais and took the few steps up to kneel before the two new Lords. "Thank you Lord Hraefn for this honor," and then with practiced ease he gave the same oath he gave when he was just a teenager and pledging his life to the man he considered his best friend, "I swear my wand and my life to your cause. I swear my loyalty to you, Lord Hraefn, and you, Lord Solanum. So mote it be."

"So mote it be," Harry and Severus echoed, binding him to his oath.

"Very good, now for your vow of silence. Raise your wand and repeat after me," Harry paused a moment for the man to obey before continuing, "I, Teodred Nott, vow on my magic to never reveal the identity or existence of Lord Solanum, through word or action, unless given direct permission by either Lord Voldemort, Lord Hraefn, or Lord Solanum. So mote it be."

Teodred completed the magical vow with no hesitation and they could all feel the magic bind him to his words. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a few of the Death Eaters wince at the wording of the vow, especially in regards to vowing on their magic. Harry knew that they would rather vow on their life. For them it would be better to be dead than to lose their magic, to be reduced to nothing more than a muggle if they ever tried to break their word.

After the two completed vows, Teodred rolled his sleeve up to reveal the dark mark proudly shown on his left arm. Both of the new Lords placed their wands on the mark and hissed out _$ morsmordre $_ , or at least, Harry said the word in parseltongue and Severus did a very good imitation of the word. The three had worked long and hard for Severus to be able to imitate the sound of the word in parseltongue since he could not speak the language. The next part was the most difficult part. Since Severus was unable to cast the spell in parseltongue he simply focused on releasing his magic. It was Harry's job to take Severus' magic and entwine it into his own as the spell was cast so the spell, and conversely the mark, would be connected to both men's magic.

Harry and Severus practiced this many times on prisoners they had in the dungeon until they could perfect their timing to cast the spell perfectly. The end result were two snakes appearing tangled in with the existing black one, one in silver and one in green to match their cloaks. Teodred's body clenched in pain but he remained silent through it all, an achievement most failed at.

"Show your new mark to your fellow Inner Circle members." Severus commanded. Teodred stood without hesitation and turned to show his arm to the others. Harry enjoyed their confusion at seeing nothing different about the mark.

Voldemort decided to step in and explain what was happening, "As we stated before, if you do not know what to look for than you will not see anything different. Since none of you know what the new mark looks like you only see what you know on Teodred's arm. As each of you receive the new marks you will be able to see it on others as well. You did well, Teodred, return to your place. Lucius, I had planned on calling you up second, but with your earlier actions I do not believe you are deserving of that honor." The blonde looked down in shame but didn't deny his Lord's statement. "Barty, step forward."

The man in question eagerly moved forward, not masking his pride at being chosen to be marked second or his triumph of being placed over Lucius Malfoy. In this manner they continued on, with Rabastan and Rodolphus following Barty, then Augustus Rookwood, Antonin Dolohov, Avery Sr., Lucius, and finally Bellatrix. Each gave the required oaths and received their new mark. Bellatrix was a mix of furious at being chosen last and having to swear her loyalty to two new Lords and terrified of being put through so much pain once more if she dared disobey.

Once all nine were lined up before the thrones once more, all with matching marks, Harry and Severus took their seats while Marvolo stood up to address them one final time before dismissing them for the night.

"With Lord Solanum and Lord Hraefn at my side we are one step closer in our goals. Soon this war will be over with us victorious. Our ways will be returned and magic will be free once more. Our world will once more be separated from the muggles as it should be. You are all dismissed until the next meeting."

The Death Eaters all cheered before bowing and turning to leave the room. Before the could get far Harry called out for Lucius to stay. He looked unsure but obediently returned to his spot. Marvolo and Severus looked at him in curiosity but Harry subtly waved them off. Neither appeared overly concerned and left the room after giving him a nod.

Harry waited to speak until the room was empty of all but Lucius and himself.

"I have a task for you, Lucius."

Before Harry was able to continue Lucius interrupted, "Does my Lord know of this?" Clearly with everyone else gone Lucius regained his confidence and seemed to want to make up for his previous submissiveness in front of him. One thing he didn't count on though, was Harry's creativity in punishments when it was only him handing them out. With an unimpressed look Harry cast a spell silently that caused the body's airways to close off, causing the target to suffocate until they died or the curse was removed. Lucius dropped to his knees while clawing at his throat, mouth opening and closing, desperate to get air. Harry waited until his struggles started to slow before he removed the curse.

For several seconds Lucius remained on hands and knees as he gulped in air and worked on getting his breathing under control.

"You forget your place, Lucius. I _am_ your Lord. You _will_ obey my orders without question." Even with his mask covering his features the sneer he was wearing was almost audible in his voice.

Suddenly Lucius rose to his feet while pulling out his wand and firing off a curse, the _Cruciatus_ to be exact. Harry easily stepped to the side and returned fire.

" _Tarrmotus! Restringo! Expelliarmus!_ " His first spell caused the earth to shake, knocking Malfoy off his feet and the second caused chains to erupt from the floor and bind him to the ground. The final one sent his wand flying into his hand. With a bit of magic Harry manipulated the chains so Lucius was arranged on the ground how he wanted.

One manacle came out of the ground and wrapped around his neck, holding his head to the floor. A second set were around his knees, close enough to the one around his neck that he was forced to kneel up on his knees, so his ass was up in the air. At the same time, they spread his knees wide so the man was completely exposed. It was a pose Harry was very familiar with as it was one he used on his subs when they became unruly and needed correction.

Malfoy struggled for several seconds, using his hands to try to force the manacle off or open but soon enough he realized that he wouldn't be going anywhere until released.

"Now that was very stupid, Lucius, almost to the point of Gryffindor stupidity in fact. You challenged an opponent with unknown capabilities, only knowing that the Dark Lord sees him as an equal. Most people would wait and analyze the situation before trying to attack. _Verbero._ "

Almost instantly after the spell was cast Lucius began to scream and writhe, trying to escape an invisible force that was flaying his back, as if someone was taking a whip to him. Harry watched in dark amusement as strips of the pureblood's cloak and shirt were torn and deep red blood welled up.

"Please stop! I beg you, please, no more. Please, my Lord, I beg you. It hurts so much, please, no more."

Harry was disappointed at how quickly Lucius began to beg. He had expected the man to have a much greater pain tolerance. While he would never go so far with either of his submissives he knew that both could handle this punishment if they were forced to. With a wave of his hand Harry canceled the spell and watched in amusement as Lucius' body seemed to sag down on the floor as much as possible.

"It seems that you are beginning to understand what a mistake you made. However, I think you still need one more part to complete your punishment. I want this lesson to really sink into your mind."

"P-please my Lord, please don't. I swear I have learned my lesson. I will never try to attack you again. I'll do anything you ask, please, just no more." It was immensely gratifying to see the once proud man chained and groveling on the floor, but it didn't change Harry's mind on what he planned to finish up the punishment.

With a snap of his fingers he called for a house elf and commanded it to bring him a bottle of rubbing alcohol from down in the dungeons. While it was decidedly a muggle's means for torture, it was much less expensive and time consuming than having to brew an equivalent potion.

The pureblood Malfoy clearly didn't know what rubbing alcohol was but anything that was stored in the dungeon could not be a good thing. When the elf popped back in with the bottle Harry took it and walked over to Lucius.

"Remember this lesson, Lucius, and I will not have to punish you in such a way again." Harry murmured before poring the alcohol onto the open wounds. This time the screams were even louder and Malfoy writhed even harder within the confines of his manacles. Harry knew that there would be bruises around the blonde's neck as a result and was rather pleased with the idea.

Once all the lashes were coated Harry stepped back and returned to the throne with the half empty bottle. He waited several minutes for Lucius to stop screaming and to pay attention once more.

"Now let me make one thing very clear, Malfoy. I will not accept such behavior in the future. If you ever try something similar or to question my orders again I will chain you like this in front of all the Death Eaters, after stripping you of course. I will let them look their fill at you and perhaps there will be a lucky outer circle Death Eater that deserves a reward and will be allowed to have his way with you. I'm sure most of the Death Eaters would love the chance to have the Lord of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy. Do you understand me?"

Lucius looked pale and shaken at the very idea of such an occurrence and quickly responded with "Yes, my Lord. I understand and I swear it won't happen again."

"Now, as for the task I originally had you stay behind for. Harry Potter is of the age that he should have taken on his head of house duties, including attending meetings and voting within the Wizengamot. However, he has yet to do so. I want to know why as well as who is currently voting his seats while he is not."

This task was of course completely self-serving. At the moment, he could not take over his own seats because the bloody headmaster kept interfering, claiming that he was too young for such responsibilities and that it was better left for when he was older. With Lucius digging around, he could raise questions about why Dumbledore was voting for his seats and if he even had the right to do so. If all went perfectly to plan, then Lucius would make it so he could take over his seats without the old fool realizing it was his plan all along.

For a moment it looked like Lucius would question why he wanted such a thing investigated but he wisely stayed silent after giving his agreement of the assignment.

"Then you are dismissed," stated Harry with a wave of his hand, causing the manacles to disappear. As a final parting blow he threw the other's wand on the floor in front of him negligently before turning his back to the man and leaving the room.


	5. Seeking Forgiveness

Marvolo walked through his halls in silence, barely paying attention to where he was going. Without Severus at his side he was sure he would have walked in a completely wrong direction by this point. Unfortunately, he couldn't help himself. His mind was caught up with thinking about the meeting he just left. For so long he had no one, trusted no one. He had been alone from the instant he was left at the orphanage as a new born. The other children hated him and feared him because of his magic. He could have let them destroy him, but instead he seized his power and used it to take control. He would not cower from the little brats that tried to terrorize him at the orphanage. No, he taught them all to fear him, that he was better than him, that they were _nothing_ compared to him.

Still, it made for a lonely childhood despite how often he tried to convince himself that he was better off alone. He held that belief for so long, convinced that no one else was to be trusted. No one would help him and to put his faith in others was just inviting himself to be hurt. That lesson was reinforced again and again. First with the matron of the orphanage who was convinced that the devil was living inside of him. Instead of helping a scared lonely child she had him put through multiple exorcisms that only served to terrify him more. Then Albus Dumbledore came and told him of a whole other world where he would belong, where others were like him. It showed him that he really was better than the disgusting children and adults that he was surrounded by.

Yet, the man ruined that world for him as well. Always suspicious, never showing any praise or recognition of his skills. And then there was Slytherin house, which were supposed to be family, instead they hated him on sight because of his muggle heritage. In the end Hogwarts was just a different battleground where he only had himself to rely upon. Even with his followers that surrounded him, he never forgot that they showed him open hatred before they knew he was the heir of Slytherin and he proved himself to be more powerful than they.

Despite all that, there was still a small part of himself that he ruthlessly tried to suppress that yearned for companionship, for someone he could trust in so that he could finally relax and let go of his constant worry. He could try to deny it, but he was lonely. Maybe that was why when Harry came around he eventually let him in. Harry gave him something precious yet terrified him at the same time. He loved the ability to let go around Harry and take a break from everything and at the same time feared losing the control he had held tightly for so long. In the bedroom it was different, simpler. He could relax into his submission and hand control over to Harry. There were few things to be self-conscious about, even with Severus there. In fact, he would say that Severus made it easier to submit. The other man was so confident in his submission that Marvolo didn't have to feel uncomfortable about his own.

For months though, he was fighting with the idea of others knowing about Harry. The man was undoubtedly a dominant. Despite his young age he could exude dominance with a single look or action. Marvolo feared that if others ever saw them in a room together they would realize that he submitted to Harry. The idea was horrifying to him. Despite everything he still had the almost subconscious idea that being submissive was equal to being weak, that others would mock him. He would never tell his two lovers, but he had nightmares where he would be in the middle of a full meeting when Harry and/or Severus would come in and make him submit before everyone present. In his nightmare all of the Death Eaters would laugh and jeer at him, commanding him like a slave and he had no will to disobey them, becoming nothing more than a toy for the men present. He woke up trembling on those nights, barely holding in screams.

Yet, he just left a meeting with his Inner Circle and there were no problems. Neither Harry nor Severus took over, both playing equal roles with himself. Before the meeting they talked over what needed to be covered and worked out who would say what so that they were all presented as equal to the men. All of his fears and doubts about his Master were for naught.

It left him feeling incredibly guilty. He thought the worst about his Master, ignoring everything he knew about him. Whenever his Master tried to reassure him, Marvolo basically nodded along but never actually changed his own opinions on the matter. He felt horrible and for the first time in years was close to tears. His Master proved yet again that he was always there to protect him, and he ignored it, so convinced of his own thoughts that he left no room for anything else.

The guilt was eating away at him and he knew that he needed to do something to rectify this, even if he did not act directly against his Master, he still felt like he broke his Master's trust. He decided to do the one thing he failed to do the first time, trust in his Master, trust that his Master could help rid him of this crushing guilt.

With that in mind he walked determinedly to their bedroom and began stripping off the beautiful robe that his Master gifted to him as well as the rest of his clothes. Part of him wanted to keep everything on, as a shield between himself and his Master, which is exactly why he knew he had to remove them.

Idly Marvolo noted Severus taking off his own robe and changing into more comfortable clothes, but neither spoke and for that Marvolo was grateful. Once he was completely bare he moved to in front of the bed and slowly sank down to his knees while placing his arms behind his back. He knew that he felt more vulnerable with his arms behind his back. Normally his supplication position had him with his arms stretched out in front of him, lying on the floor. However, he was purposely doing everything he could to put himself in a vulnerable position to show his Master how much he wanted to make amends. With a deep breath he bent over to place his forehead on the ground and settled in to wait for his Master.

* * *

Harry left the throne room with adrenaline pumping through his body after dealing with Lucius. He was very much looking forward to joining his boys. Already his mind was racing with different toys he could use on them, thoughts on how long he could push them before they begged for their releases. If he was honest with himself, he very much needed to dominate his boys and he was looking forward to denying them and watching them squirm and writhe beneath him.

Harry knew that his current mood could be dangerous if he didn't control himself. He was by no means a sadist, but when he got in a mood such as this he had some sadistic tendencies and enjoyed pushing his submissive to their limit. He was already painfully hard and as he got closer to their bedroom door he pulled himself up completely into his Dominant persona, ready to take charge of his little submissives as soon as he walked through the door.

All his thoughts and plans came to a screeching halt once he opened the door and saw what was waiting for him within. He carefully looked his pet over for any clues to what was happening and narrowed his eyes when he saw the tension throughout the delicious body and even faint trembles racing through his arms and shoulders.

Looking up he sent a sharp look to Severus who was silently sitting on the bed, still dressed, and clearly not a part of whatever was happening with Marvolo. At Harry's glare Severus dropped his head submissively yet shook his head and gave him a bit of a helpless look, indicating he did not know what the problem was either.

Harry slowly closed the door behind him and moved past Marvolo, while watching carefully for any reaction. When he failed to acknowledge his pet, the man stiffened evened more and hunched his shoulders down, trying to curl into himself while staying in the same position. Knowing that something was very wrong he only removed his robe and mask before walking back to stand in front of the man.

"Look at me," he demanded, and it was only with his practice of controlling his emotions was he able to keep a blank face when Marvolo rose up slightly to look up at him. For one of the first times Marvolo was being completely open with his emotions, not hiding anything from him.

Harry could see his pet's confusion and pain, the guilt and the absolute _need_ for his Master to some how make this situation better. Seeing his pet so confused and lost, with a wet gleam in his eyes, made Harry want to gather him up and hold him tight while reassuring him that everything would be alright, but he knew that wasn't what was needed. He had a fairly good idea now why Marvolo was doing this, but he wanted to be sure.

"Speak, pet." His voice was still hard and left no room to question who was in control at that moment.

"Master, I- I failed to trust in you. I thought the worst of you despite every reassurance that you gave me about introducing you to the Death Eaters. I failed in the very basis that our relationship was built on. I don't know how to fix this, Master. I'm sorry, so sorry. Please, Master…"

Marvolo trailed off, apparently not knowing how to articulate his needs, but Harry knew what was needed.

"Listen to me, pet," he waited until he knew Marvolo was focusing on him, "you know that you have earned a punishment for your failure to trust in your Dominant and in this relationship. You have five minutes to take care of anything you need before I expect you kneeling on your mat within our playroom. Go now."

Harry watched as Marvolo rose but kept his eyes downcast and walked to another door that led down into their playroom. There was a second bathroom built next to it so his submissives could prepare themselves while he was doing the same in their bedroom.

Once his pet was gone Harry turned to Severus who had stayed still and silent through the whole exchange. Part of him was still amped up from earlier but he knew he had to be calm and in complete control to give Marvolo what he was needing. Slowly Harry walked to the bed and leaned down to give Severus a gentle kiss, trying to get himself into the right headspace for what he was needing.

"Are you alright, Severus?" he asked after pulling back. His dark lover appeared to be fine, but it was always best to double check.

"I am fine," he paused for a moment before continuing. "I did not realize Marvolo was concealing so many of his emotions. We knew that he was unsure about this meeting, but not to such an extreme."

Severus looked disturbed at missing such a thing. For a spy like him it must be especially concerning. Harry caressed his cheek softly, reassuring him.

"All of us are rather adept at hiding our emotions, sometimes from even ourselves. It is a product of our childhoods. However, he took a big step tonight and it makes me hopeful for our future together. You know that normally I love playing with both of you present, but tonight I need to be alone with Marvolo."

Severus just smiled gently, clearly seeing through the flimsy reassurances, "I know. Do not worry that I will be jealous. Even in a relationship such as ours its important to have one on one time with each other to help maintain a healthy balance. It's even more important with the punishment that will be happening, my presence would just hinder him opening up."

Harry couldn't help his amused smile, "My Professor to the end it seems." He gentled the words with a sweet kiss. "My brilliant Professor at that." The second kiss was much fiercer, with Harry taking the lead and dominating the kiss completely.

"I plan on being down there with him for an hour or two. I plan on pushing him into subspace and I am sure he will resist every step of the way. Will you be fine up here on your own?" Harry asked after pulling back once more.

Severus quirked his lips but obviously tried to hide his amusement. "I will have no problems being alone. I have a new Potions Monthly magazine to read. I shall be here waiting for the two of you, so we can go to bed together like usual."

Harry gave the man one more dominating kiss before standing and preparing himself mentally for what he had planned. He would have to handle Marvolo very careful to make the punishment meaningful and not the simple self-flagellation that he was sure Marvolo was wanting. Right before he opened the door to the playroom he turned to look back at Severus with a considering look.

"Tell me, boy, do you know the etiquette concerning another submissive that is in full submission?"

Severus straightened at the attention and once he heard the term of address he dropped his eyes and even clasped his hands behind his back before answering.

"Yes, Master, I do."

"Tell me," Harry commanded.

"Essentially you should not interact with the submissive in any way without direct permission from the submissive's Dominant. This includes talking to, or about, the submissive and even making eye contact. When any sort of interaction is necessary, after receiving permission, the interaction should be kept as short as possible. This is because any submissive's job while in full submission is to be completely attentive to their Dominant. They should not be distracted from anything that will take their attention from their Dominant."

Severus glanced up briefly to see if his answer was acceptable. Harry smiled at the rather complete answer that he was given.

"Very good. I plan on putting my little pet in full submission from the instant that he wakes tomorrow morning. I would like for you to join me for breakfast and lunch. The morning would be an ideal time to work on any potions that you have to prepare, however after lunch I would like for you to stay with us. I suggest you bring something to read as most likely we will spend the afternoon relaxing in the sitting room. Once his punishment is complete I want us to sit down together and discuss the meeting and any problems any of us had or saw."

Initially Severus seemed surprised at hearing about his plans for Marvolo, probably because he never demanded full submission from either of his submissives. He loved their sarcasm and playfulness too much to ever want them to act basically how the Death Eaters acted before their Lord. He loved their fight and spirit and the fact that they were partners and not just Dominant and submissive. However, a one-day punishment was certainly not out of hand and would hopefully teach Marvolo to trust in him.

With everything taken care of, he made his way down the stairs to their playroom. Opening the door, he walked in with confidence and was pleased to see his pet knelt obediently on his padded mat and that he had not moved upon his entrance. He was knelt on his knees with his ankles together, but knees separated so that Harry had a completely open view of everything he considered his. Marvolo's spine was perfectly straight with his shoulders back, but with his head bent low and eyes cast downward. To complete the beautiful image, his hands were held behind his back, the perfect image of a waiting submissive.

Harry knew that often times his pet would already be hard just from sitting and waiting for him to arrive, the anticipation letting his mind run free with possibilities. Not this time, however. It showed Harry just how nervous Marvolo really was to have him completely soft.

For the moment Harry stayed silent and moved to the back corner where all their toys were stored. Their playroom was quite well equipped, with multiple areas throughout. A large bed took up one corner of the room, while the center of the room was left mostly open with chains from the ceiling. The other walls contained a St. Andrew's cross, a spanking bench, a large desk, and a black leather couch taking up the other corner. The room was done in black, deep reds and purples. It was also specifically laid out so his pet who was kneeling next to the door could not see the rest of the room behind him and therefor wouldn't be able to know what Harry was doing.

Harry started with looking over the different toys and deciding how exactly he wanted to handle the night. He had a large variety of impact toys; riding crops of different shapes, floggers spanning the spectrum of light sensual play to heavy punishment, various paddles, and even two whips that were only occasionally brought out. Notably missing, however, were any canes or belts. Canes were one of Marvolo's hard limits due to his experiences in the orphanage, while belts were on both Harry's and Severus' list. Severus due to his father, and Harry because he had too many memories of his Uncle standing over him with a belt. He never wanted to be in that same position, never wanted to think of himself as being anything like his Uncle or the rest of that family. It's the same reason why Harry never slaps his submissives in the face. He knows that many dominants do and that to many submissives it is nothing different than any other punishment. For Harry though, it is demeaning in every way and he could never do it to someone that he loved. Even when punishing his submissives there is no doubt that he loves them, however a slap to the face could never be a loving act for him.

Harry grabbed a heavier flogger, while it didn't contain metal tips like a few of his did, it was still on the higher end of the spectrum. He also grabbed a medium width wooden paddle and a leather riding crop with a square end. Next, he rooted through the cabinets and drawers for a few more toys. He took his load and placed the paddle near the spanking bench and the rest next to the desk while casting a disillusionment charm on them so his pet wouldn't be able to see what was waiting for him. Then he went over to the wall of restraints and grabbed a pair of Gryffindor red leather cuffs and matching ankle cuffs, and after some contemplation he grabbed a blindfold as well, just in case.

The blindfold was placed in Harry's pocket as he walked back to his pet who had very wisely not moved while Harry was preparing. He stood in front of his pet and simply observed him for several minutes. He wanted the man unsure about what was happening, it was the first step of him letting go of control. Harry knew that his pet was resisting moving and looking up to see what was happening. He did fairly well, only making minute movements as he became more and more unsure.

"Tell me why you are here, pet." Harry's voice was hard and demanding, making his pet hunch down slightly before straightening back up into his perfect posture.

"I failed to trust in you, Master," was the soft response.

"What else?" he snapped out. His poor pet was obviously confused and was frantically thinking over what else he could have done wrong. Harry waited patiently, not rushing the man.

"I don't know, Master. I'm sorry," he finally responded sounding unsure of himself.

"You lied to me, pet, multiple times." At those words Marvolo jerked his head up and opened his mouth to respond, but quickly dropped his head back down at the glare Harry gave him for breaking position.

"This is not the first time that I have had to punish you for your lack of trust. After each punishment you show that you are repentant and promise to do better in the future. Still, we are here once more due to this same issue. More than that, every time I reassured you about meeting your followers, you have given me empty promises and platitudes to end the conversation without ever believing what I have told you."

Harry paused to let his words sink in and he had to admit that his pet looked properly ashamed of his actions. It didn't change the nights plans however.

"I have punished you before, but they have all been fairly light, mere reminders that your behavior was unacceptable and needed correction than a full punishment. Tonight, however will be different. I am tired of revisiting this topic. I am tired of your lack of faith in me and our relationship."

He waited in silence for another two minutes, simply staring down at his submissive who was slowly curling his shoulders in under his steady gaze.

"Stand," Harry barked out suddenly, his voice hard and demanding. He got a twist of pleasure from seeing his little pet jump in surprise at the sudden noise and was pleased when the command was obeyed immediately.

"Wrists," was the next command and Marvolo instantly held his arms in front of him with his palms up. With quick, sure movements Harry buckled on the leather cuffs while smirking at his pet's look of indignation at wearing _Gryffindor_ cuffs.

"Is there something you would like to say to me, pet?" Despite Harry's amusement his voice was dangerous, making it clear that there was only one acceptable answer.

"No, Master, I'm sorry, Master" Marvolo said softly, clearly not daring to push his luck.

Harry gave his sub a hard look before kneeling to place the ankle cuffs on as well. He did a quick check on all four, ensuring that none were too tight or were pinching where they were buckled on, before moving back so he could observe his pet once more.

"Before we begin your punishment I have a few orders for you to follow tomorrow morning. However, I doubt that you will be in any state of mind to think coherently enough after your punishment to be able to understand your orders if I gave them to you then."

The look of trepidation at his announcement amused him even more.

"As soon as you wake up tomorrow you are to get up and prepare yourself for the morning. Clothes will not be required. Once you have taken care of any of your needs you are to kneel by the side of the bed and wait for me to wake. Do you think you can remember this?"

Again, his voice left no doubt that this was a demand and not a real question.

"Yes, Master, I will not disappoint you."

"Very well then, go place yourself on the spanking bench."

His order was followed immediately. Harry stayed where he was and admired the view as Marvolo knelt up on the padded pedestals for his knees and laid himself over the raised bench, which was also padded, so that his ass was high in the air. Once he was situated Harry walked over and first clipped the ankle cuffs to the eyebolt on the bench and then placed his arms so they were back towards his knees and clipped them to the bench as well.

"This is not the first time I have had to punish you for this same infraction. Tonight's punishment will be longer in the hopes that you finally learn your lesson." At his words Marvolo hunched his shoulders in, clearly regretful, yet at the second part Harry was able to watch his body tense and a look of determination enter his eyes. Without a doubt the man was steeling himself to take everything without complaint as a form of self-flagellation.

This attitude could be dangerous. It was very unlikely that Marvolo would use his safeword as he punished himself by taking everything, even if it went too far. Harry would have to be extra vigilant to make sure that he did not cross the line and truly harm his pet.

The growled out "Count, pet!" was the only warning Harry gave before he brought his hand down hard on his pet's right cheek.

"One, Master!" was the surprised response.

SMACK!

"Two, Master!"

Harry kept going, alternating back and forth and high and low. He kept the strength constant, not too hard to be reach his pet's pain tolerance, but firm enough to make the man jerk at each one.

"T-twenty, Master!"

At this Harry stepped back to observe his pet. He was panting hard with fine trembles running through his legs and shoulders. He grabbed the black silky hair and yanked it to the side so he could look into his pet's eyes. The red eyes were moist, yet he looked determined not to let the tears fall. He wasn't there yet.

"Now for the next part. You will count these as well, starting with one once more."

Harry grabbed the wooden paddle and ran it over the bright red cheeks, enjoying the hiss the other man let out. He turned it on its edge and tapped gently at the crack, before pulling back and landing a stinging smack on the right cheek.

"Ahhh, one, Master!"

This time he was using more force with each swing but waited longer between each one while carefully monitoring his pet's breathing and body language. He would not let his sub force him into going too far.

By the twentieth strike he was whimpering and jerking as much as he could within the restraints, but when Harry assessed his face, his eyes and jaw were clenched shut as he tried to ride through the pain, not giving into it.

He sat the paddle back down before unclipping the cuffs from the spanking bench.

"Go to the desk and lie on your back with your ass on the edge of the desk," he demanded while standing back to watch. His pet pushed himself up to stand on shaky legs and slowly made his way to the desk before hesitating when he was right in front of it.

"Now, pet!" Harry growled, not pleased with the hesitation despite knowing its source. Marvolo jumped and quickly sat on the desk with a whimper at the pain before lying back and waiting. From the side of the desk Harry pulled up a chain with a large strap at the end, wrapping the strap just above his pet's left knee. He then went to the other side and repeated the action with his right leg. Then turning a crank, he tightened the chains until his pet's knees were pulled back towards his head and held wide apart. Next, he lowered a pair of chains from the ceiling and connect the ankle cuffs to them, so his legs were held high up and out of the way. The end result was his pet spread wide open with his ass and cock laid bare for what Harry had planned next.

For his arms he went to the other side of the desk and pulled more chains which he attached to the wrist cuffs so his arms were stretched straight above his head. The final touch was placing the blindfold across the beautiful red eyes.

When Harry pulled the blindfold out from his pocket, his pet's eyes widened adorably, but he was smart enough to not protest as it was placed on. Harry checked it for tightness and then asked if his pet could see anything. When he got a negative response, he removed the disillusionment charm from the toys and moved to the next part of his plan.

First, he grabbed two vibrators, placing one on the tip of the soft cock and the other against his balls. At the first contact Marvolo cried out and jerked his hips away.

"Do. Not. Move." Harry warned, and his pet instantly settled while tightening all his muscles to try and hold still. Before he became fully erect Harry set the toys down and grabbed a different one. This one was two rings, almost like a cock ring, and he easily clasped it around the base of his pet's cock and balls. The surprise came when he pushed a bit of his magic in and it started to vibrate. This time Marvolo was able to remain still.

Picking up the first vibrators once more he continued until he was fully erect and then placed them to the side. Next, he poured oil on his fingers and began to leisurely play with his pet's hole, working on opening him wide. Marvolo tried to hold in his moans, not wanting to react to the pleasure when he still felt like he deserved more punishment.

Harry ignored him for now, he would soon realize that this was still part of his punishment. Once he was sufficiently opened Harry grabbed one of the bigger dildos and began easing it into the waiting hole. This caused louder moans and the occasional minor protest as it stretched him wide. Harry ignored it all, continuing at his own pace, only ensuring that it was causing no true harm.

Once it was completely in Harry grabbed a different vibrator, this one a clear tube that he placed over the hard erection. Once everything was set up he stepped back and pushed his magic into all of the toys, making the vibrators turn on and the dildo to begin moving in and out on its own.

Marvolo cried out and jerked wildly at the overwhelming sensations, thrusting his hips to try and control what was happening. Harry reached down and grabbed his ass in a hard grip, squeezing tight.

"I said Do. Not. Move." At each word he squeezed tight causing his pet to cry out at the pain.

"I'm sorry Master! I'll do better, I promise," Marvolo cried out while he stilled all movement.

Harry stood back and waited, watching his pet struggle to remain motionless with the overwhelming stimulation. Once he was getting close to his climax, Harry loudly spoke the spell that would not allow him to come until the spell was removed. Marvolo whined at hearing it, knowing that he would not have his release any time soon, if at all.

After a while Harry turned the toys down to a lower setting so they were barely vibrating or moving. He smirked at his pet's sigh of relief. Surely, he knew that it wouldn't be that easy. This time when he went to his toys he grabbed the riding crop and with no warning brought it down on his right nipple. The answering cry was music to his ears, but at the next hit, Marvolo was able to control himself once more and stayed silent.

For a few minutes Harry randomly brought the crop down on different parts of the muscled body; his nipples, stomach, thighs, feet. When his pet was panting with every muscle clenched to keep from twisting away he stepped back and turned the toys back on. He let the pleasure build before gently tapping the hard balls with the crop, resulting in hard yells. Still, Marvolo stayed motionless as ordered. Harry was rather proud of this fact and would have told him so if he wasn't continuing to resist his punishment. Normally Marvolo would have broken down by this point, but he was still holding in all of his pain and guilt, thinking he deserved more before he was absolved.

After three rounds of going back and forth between the pleasure and the crop Harry stepped back and placed the crop down and set the toys back to low. He began to disconnect all the restraints holding his pet in place, gently working out any stiff muscles, before finally taking the blindfold back off. He had one last part planned and he needed to see those beautiful eyes to keep track of where his pet was at.

"Stand and go to the St. Andrew's cross so that you are facing the wall," he commanded lowly.

Marvolo stood slowly and awkwardly walked over, halfway across the room Harry turned the toys back all the way on and Marvolo collapsed to the ground at the renewed pleasure. Just as quickly he turned it back to low and cleared his throat, reminding his pet that he wasn't where he belonged. Wearily he stood up and moved faster to the cross, not wanting a repeat performance.

Harry easily connected all the cuffs to the cross and grabbed his final toy; the flogger.

"You are allowed to move once more, and you do not have to keep count." With that Harry began with rhythmic strokes from his pet's thighs up to his shoulders. He continued like this for several minutes but knew that he was getting close to his pet's limits. Still, Marvolo refused to give up and let go.

Angrily Harry grabbed his hair and jerked back so his pet was looking him in the eyes.

"Who am I?" he questioned harshly.

"My Master," was the immediate pained response.

Harry let go of his hair and landed another hard hit on his thighs.

"And what is my job as your Master?" The question was asked with another hit.

"To give me what I need, Master."

"Who are you?" Again, the question was followed with another hit.

"Y-your submissive, Master." Harry could hear the tears in his voice.

"And what is your job?"

"T-to take what you give me Master."

"Is it your job to decide how I punish you?" he growled out with another hard hit.

"N-no, Master!"

"Is it your job to decide how long I punish you for?" was the next growled question followed by the flogger.

"No, Master!"

"Then Let. Go." Each word stated with the sting of the flogger. "You have no control here. _I_ decide how to punish you. _I_ decide how long to punish you. You will _not_ change that. Now, let go."

The final words were accompanied by a harder hit of the flogger and all the toys coming back onto high. It was enough. He could tell the instant Marvolo let go and dropped down into subspace, his whole-body slumping against the cross.

Immediately Harry turned everything off and quickly went about removing the toys, placing them carelessly to the side. While doing so he kept up a constant murmur of praise, reassuring his pet that he was there.

After removing the cuffs Harry cast a feather-light charm and gently picked his pet up bridal style, gently shushing the man when he let out noises of pain at the contact with his painful back. He easily walked back up the stairs, using his magic to open the door to their bedroom and softly placed Marvolo on his stomach onto the bed.

Severus was there waiting with their usual cream that the man made himself to help sooth any pain and reduce swelling and any bruising that may have occurred. Harry was always careful to never break the skin and was pleased to note that while there was some bruising forming, he spaced everything out enough that no one area was overly harmed.

Once this was taken care of he called for a house elf and had it bring him a goblet of water to be placed next to their bed for when Marvolo came out of subspace. With everything taken care of he shed his clothes and crawled into bed to gently hold his pet and motioned for Severus to do the same on the other side.

They laid there for almost thirty minutes, enjoying the silence and peace, before the first sign that Marvolo was coming back up. Slowly, the man succumbed to sobs, gripping tightly to Harry, and occasionally speaking unintelligible words. He knew it was coming and was glad to see his love release all of the negative emotions he was holding in most of the night.

Harry just held him through it, telling him how proud he was, how much he loved him, that he was his good little pet. Severus did what he could, letting his presence be known and gently holding him as well.

Eventually, the sobs tapered off and his body stopped trembling. Harry called a house elf once more and requested a warm, damp, flannel. Taking it, he gently tipped up his love's face and washed him before giving him a soft kiss. He handed over the goblet next with a murmured command to drink. Once it was empty he banished it back to the kitchens and pulled his pet back down onto the bed.

"Sleep now, my precious pet," he murmured.

"I love you, Master," was the soft reply before Marvolo relaxed into sleep.


	6. The Hard Things Are Always Worth It

Slowly Marvolo made his way into consciousness but enjoyed the softness and warmth surrounding him. Idly he felt the bodies on both sides of him and part of him realized that he was in the middle of their sleeping pile, which was rather odd when he actually thought of it. Normally Harry slept in the center with himself and Severus wrapped around him on each side. It was this odd event that gave him the boost needed to come out of the sleepy haze that he was enjoying.

As he became more awake and made small movements, Marvolo became conscious of the pain up and down his back. It hurt, worse than it ever had before with Harry. He rather deserved the pain though, with the way he acted before. While last night's punishment was the worst he had ever received, he was not angry with his Master. It was what he needed to soothe the whirlwind that his mind had become. Never before had he felt so helpless within his own mind. It was like a tornado roaring through his thoughts where nothing made sense. All that was there was the guilt tearing into him, pounding against his mind like a war drum.

Despite everything his Master gave him peace and silence. Intellectually he was aware of the so called "sub space". He was a bit hesitant of its validity, thinking it just a ruse to get more people into the lifestyle. However, nothing could prepare him for the light, floaty feeling that he experienced. It was like being weightless, gently floating while being completely peaceful. The only thing he was really aware of was his Master's voice, and even that still sounded distant. It was peaceful and relaxing. He could easily see someone getting addicted to the feeling.

Upon thinking over the previous night's events, he remembered one critical detail. Namely, his Master giving him orders to follow in the morning as soon as he woke up. Orders that he had yet to actually act upon in any way. For just a split second Marvolo contemplated going back to sleep and using that as an excuse for not following orders. Seconds later he was ashamed of himself. How could he ever do something so cowardly and deceitful right after everything he went through the night before?

With that in mind he sat up and slowly worked his way off the bed, going over the end of the bed so as to not disturb the two slumbering men. Quickly he made his way into the shower, turning the heat up high to help sooth his sore muscles while trying to keep in mind that he could not spend too long enjoying the heat. There was no guessing when his Master would wake up and he wanted to be kneeling by his bedside before that happened. His back twinged as if in agreement with the thought.

Finally, he turned off the hot water and worked to dry himself and used a charm to dry his hair before combing it down neatly. His hair was several inches long, mainly because Harry greatly enjoyed playing with it, whether just running his fingers through it while relaxing or grabbing it harshly to control his head during intimate moments. Not that he objected to such actions, he thought with a smirk.

Eventually, he was finished with his morning tasks and silently walked back into their bedroom. He was relieved to see his Master was still sleeping, although he had moved closer to Severus. The two were now entwined together. Another surprising thing about Harry, really. He was just so… cuddly. No matter how often Marvolo protested the Dark Lords did _not_ cuddle, Harry would just chuckle and hold him that much tighter. He enjoyed protesting, as did Severus on occasion, but Marvolo did find it to be rather nice to just be held by someone he loved.

With that positive image in mind he quietly sank down to his knees, ignoring the pain as his heels dug painfully into his arse. His movements were calm and relaxed as he arranged himself into the proper position and waited for his Master to wake.

* * *

As was usual, Harry woke early in the morning. For too many years he was forced to wake early to do outdoor chores for the Dursleys before any of their neighbors were awake and could see the state that he was in. It was a habit he kept at Hogwarts, using the early morning hours to study and practice without the old man's spies watching his every move.

He woke wrapped around Marvolo, holding the other man gently against him. Despite the orders he gave last night, he was not surprised to find his little pet still asleep. The previous night was taxing both mentally and physically, and he didn't begrudge his pet for still resting. Still, he didn't plan on ruining his plans, so he relaxed back into the warm bed and closed his eyes, after moving away from his pet slightly so the man could move when he woke. No reason to make it too difficult on his pet so early on. He would save that for later.

It was probably another forty minutes before he heard Marvolo's change in breathing and felt the small movements that signified that he was finally awake. Harry stayed relaxed and kept his breathing slow and deep so as to feign sleep. He was slightly annoyed with how long his pet took to get moving, but assumed it took him a while to process everything that had happened the night before.

He waited patiently until he heard the bathroom door shut and the shower to turn on before he opened his eyes. Immediately he was met with sleepy black eyes staring at him in confusion.

"Close your eyes and rest a little longer, it's not time for us to get up yet," Harry murmured softly while moving closer to wrap his dark lover in his arms. Severus made some low noises in his throat as he readjusted into a comfortable position and closed his eyes once more.

Severus would never allow Harry to say it out loud, but Harry thought he was adorable while asleep. It was one of the few times when Severus was so completely relaxed and peaceful. The only other time was when Harry was able to get him to drop into subspace. It was beautiful to see.

Harry relaxed and enjoyed this time while waiting for Marvolo to emerge. Soon enough his thoughts turned to the upcoming morning and how he wanted to deal with his plans. He knew that it would be a struggle to get Marvolo to fully submit for most of the day. The man struggled with his submission even while wanting someone to care for him. In sexual situations, it was easier. Harry figured it was because they were private moments and so Marvolo was able to let go and relax into his submission.

That wasn't what Harry had planned for today though. While they would remain in their own rooms, there was still the unlikely chance that someone could interrupt them and he knew it was this fear that would make Marvolo protest. Hopefully, after his punishment last night Marvolo would be more open to the initial idea of complete submission for the day. He wanted the day to be peaceful and relaxing for his pet, for him to really enjoy the chance to let go of absolutely everything. Harry also hoped that this would increase Marvolo's trust in him.

Finally, he heard the bathroom door open and listened as his pet walked over to the side of the bed before the room was silent once more. Harry waited a few more minutes, giving his pet plenty of time to settle himself into the right mindset.

Eventually, Harry opened his eyes to look upon his sleeping lover. With a small smile he leaned forward to gently tease a kiss from the passive lips. Sleepy eyes opened but Severus remained pliant against him as both simply enjoyed the sweet kiss.

"Good morning, love."

"Good morning, Harry," Severus replied. For a moment he looked around for Marvolo before spotting him kneeling by the bedside. Severus turned back to Harry with a raised brow, silently asking what was happening.

Harry caressed his face with the back of his fingers and then leaned in for another kiss. Once they split apart Harry sat up and looked down at his little pet who had followed his commands very well.

"Good morning, pet, you look wonderful kneeling there. Before anything else, though, are you in pain?" Harry asked the most pressing question first. He knew of course that the man was in pain after his punishment the night before. He only asked to get a gauge for how painful his pet really was.

"Good morning, Master. I am sore, especially where I am kneeling. I can handle the pain, though, if I must." The response was softly spoken and Marvolo kept his eyes cast downwards.

"I don't want you in pain, my pet, especially considering how long you are going to be kneeling today. Although, I think the cream will be enough, instead of a pain potion. I want you to have a small reminder of your actions yesterday. Come here," Harry stated while patting his lap.

Marvolo obediently stood and Harry enjoyed both the sight and feel of having his pet resting face down over his lap. He ran his hand over the red and swollen marks, feeling the heat that came off them.

"That's a good boy," he said softly before turning to Severus, "Please hand me the cream, Severus." Harry wanted to make it clear that at that moment Marvolo was the only one actively submitting.

It was a matter of a few seconds to have the cream handed to him and he began to gently rub the cream into the beautiful skin. Marvolo remained mostly silent, only letting out the occasional groan or whine at a particularly sore spot. Between the warm naked body rubbing against his own and the delicious sounds Harry was having a growing problem. He resisted the urge to straddle his pet and plunge deep into the pliant body. He had time later to enjoy himself. Unfortunately, he had other things that had to be done first.

Finally, Harry's torture was over and he pushed Marvolo back so he was once more kneeling on the ground. Harry moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his legs on either side of his pet, and looked down at the man. For a moment Marvolo looked at the erection sitting right in front of him before glancing up at Harry, as if to ask if he was supposed to take it in his mouth. Harry just shook his head before speaking.

"As you know, once a punishment is completed, I consider the matter closed and done with. There is something that I want you to do today, but I want to be very clear that this is not a punishment and especially not a continuation of last night's punishment. You took your punishment very well last night and I am extremely proud of you for that. I am also proud that you came to me when you needed me, that you relied on me to help you. That makes me very happy. Today, however, is going to be a lesson to help you continue to increase your trust in me. Last night was a wonderful first step. Today will continue and build upon that. Do you understand that I am not punishing you today?" The whole time he spoke calmly, he wanted to really get this point across.

"Yes, Master. I understand." Marvolo stated obediently.

Harry smiled but wondered if he would say the same thing after learning what was going to happen to him. Well, no time like the present to find out.

"Today I want you in full submission." He ignored the instant stiffening and continued on, "Since I have never asked it of either you or Severus I am going to be explicit in what I expect of you throughout the day. Full submission is designed for the submissive to be completely attentive to their Dominant's needs with no other outside distractions. The submissive need not make any choices, for those are for his Dominant to decide. The only thing the submissive needs to do is listen and obey. Explicitly, today you are to remain kneeling at my side unless told otherwise. You are not to speak unless asked a direct question or given permission to. If you need something, such as a drink or to go to the loo, you are to place yourself into your supplication pose and wait for me to acknowledge you before speaking. I expect you to obey my commands instantly. Failure to do so will result in an immediate punishment. Do you have any questions of what I expect from you today?"

Marvolo didn't answer immediately and Harry was patient while waiting for an answer. He wanted to be sure that Marvolo knew what to do. He didn't want to have to punish his pet today, wanting the day to be more about trust and learning to relax into his submission. He would still give correction when necessary though.

When his pet finally spoke his voice was hesitant, "No, Master, I don't have any questions."

"Very well. There is one last thing to go over." He reached over to the side table and pulled open the top drawer. They kept some of their more used toys there for easy access and the previous night Harry had added an extra item. He took out a plain black mask that looked similar to masquerade masks where it only came down to cover the top of the nose and cheeks, leaving the mouth completely uncovered. However, this one was lacking the traditional eye holes.

"This, pet, is a blindfold that is designed to be comfortably worn for an extended period of time. Now, I will not command you to wear this today. It is purely your choice to decide if you are willing to wear it or not. I will not be disappointed or punish you in any way if you decide not to. Be warned, while it is your decision to wear it or not, it will be my decision when it comes off if you decide to put it on. You do not have to answer right away. I am going to take Severus and we are going to get ready for the day. You have until I come back to make your decision. If you decide not to then simply leave the mask lying on the bed. If you decide to wear it, then I expect you to present it to me and ask me to place it on."

With that said Harry placed the mask on the bed and stood up, motioning for Severus to follow him into the bathroom. He did not look back, wanting his pet to make his own decision. Once both men were in the bathroom Harry closed the door and placed a silencing spell around the room before turning to Severus with a dark look in his eyes.

"Boy, I seem to have quite the hard problem. Luckily for me, I have a beautiful and obedient submissive that is eager to see to my needs. Isn't that right?" His voice held amusement, showing Severus that it was lighthearted.

Severus immediately began to harden while his lips quirked with his own amusement. When he spoke though, his voice was completely serious.

"Of course, Master. Your perfectly obedient submissive would love to serve his great, wonderful, and generous Master who lets his submissives come whenever they want."

Harry couldn't stop his chuckle at the words and the innocent look that Severus was able to pull off.

"You are pushing it, boy. You had best get over here and put that mouth to a better use before it gets you in trouble! Maybe, if it is good enough, I will consider letting you come." To be honest with himself, Harry knew that there was no doubt it would be good enough. Severus was amazing with his mouth, although Harry refused to think of where he got such experience without being overcome with jealousy.

Severus smirked and sauntered over until he was standing inches from Harry. Before he could slide down to his knees Harry took a hold of the man's chin and brought him in for a hungry possessive kiss. He ran his tongue over the bottom lip before nipping it. He used the resulting gasp to his advantage and plunged inside to take his fill of his boy's taste. Only when he was content did he push Severus back and motion to the ground.

Severus looked a bit dazed at the fierce kiss but eagerly slid to his knees. He glanced up once more to stare at Harry, as if asking for final permission.

"Go on, boy. We don't want to leave my little pet alone for too long." It was all the permission Severus needed before taking the hard length into his mouth.

At times Harry loved to wrap his fingers in the silky black hair and direct his boy as he pleasured him. He loved forcing that delicious mouth to take all of his cock until it was forced down his tight throat. Through it all Severus would remain passive, letting Harry take his pleasure from the man's mouth, only humming his enjoyment around the thick cock as he kept his throat relaxed.

Other times, he loved nothing more than sitting back and enjoying Severus' skill, letting the man pleasure him how he wished. Harry loved those long fingers, so adept at potion making, so nimble as they danced over his cock and balls, playing with them in a way that made Harry soar with pleasure. Then there was the man's tongue. The same tongue that could throw acid barbs and make the strongest of his students break down in tears, could do the most delicious of things as it wrapped around his balls or played with the sensitive slit at the tip of his cock.

All Harry could do was gasp and moan as Severus seemed to hit every pleasurable spot at once and before he knew it, he was coming with a yell as his perfect boy drank down every drop while gently suckling for anything that remained. When Harry regained control of himself, he gently pulled Severus up and claimed those lips once more, ignoring the taste of himself that lingered. For the moment, he also ignored the hard erection that was jutting against his hip as Severus lightly thrusted against him, probably in an unconscious movement.

"That was wonderful, boy. Now, however, we must get cleaned and ready for the day." Harry ignored Severus' groan at having his own pleasure ignored and walked over to the shower stall to push his magic into one of the runes carved there. The runes stored "programs" for the shower so that each person could set their own desired water temperature, pressure, jets, and such, without having to reset it each time someone else used the shower.

Harry's personal setting had very hot water, but only coming from the top shower head. He hated the feel of water being sprayed at him from all directions, making him feel claustrophobic and like he was drowning. It also brought up horrible memories of Vernon and Dudley spraying him down with hoses in the back yard after he finished his yard work so that he didn't "infect the house with anymore of his freakishness". Besides, with the number of times that he bent over one of his submissives or had them on their knees, he didn't want them being sprayed in the face. Instant mood killer, that.

Severus followed him into the shower stall and without being told he immediately began to gently wash him, running the soft, sudsy flannel over his body. Harry felt content with the tender care and love Severus put into this seemingly mundane act. It was almost as if he was worshipping his body. Harry relaxed as his body was rinsed of suds and then those long fingers began to message shampoo into his hair, messaging his skull, and making Harry sleepy with how relaxed he was.

Finally, he was clean though and he turned to take the flannel from Severus' hands before the man started to bathe himself. Severus didn't fight the action and even smiled slightly. Harry started at his back, standing behind the man and put as much attention into the act as Severus did. Once he went from his shoulders to his heels Harry stood back up and wrapped his arms around his lover to begin washing the strong chest, taking care with each arm, and then down to the stomach. When he reached the man's crotch he kept his movements methodical as he cleaned the still achingly hard erection and taut balls before he moved down to the thighs and further down the legs. Through all of it Severus remained silent and didn't complain which had Harry smiling.

Soon enough, he stood back up after dropping the flannel to the floor. As he ran his hands along the slick chest and stomach Harry whispered in Severus' ear, "My good boy, so wonderful in his care for his Master. I think you deserve a reward."

Harry's right hand drifted down until he held the heavy length of Severus' cock while his left hand moved up to play with the hardening nipples. Severus moaned but remained still in Harry's arms as Harry began pumping his hand up and down.

It did not take long at all before Severus was crying out and begging permission to come. Since Marvolo was still waiting out in their bedroom Harry did not take the time to really tease his boy and quickly gave the command to come. He continued to hold his boy up and ran a gentle hand over his stomach until he came down from his high and could stand once more.

They shared a sweet kiss before quickly finishing up with their shower and drying themselves off. Lying over the sink were two outfits, one for each man, that one of the house-elves had prepared while they were preoccupied with one another.

Harry mused, as he got dressed, that Marvolo's house-elves were very well trained. It was nice that they took care of their needs while remaining unseen.

Once both men were fully prepared Harry turned to Severus, serious once more.

"Today's situation is going to be hard on all of us. While I have rules that I expect you to follow today as my submissive, I do not want you actively submitting unless I explicitly state otherwise. I want Marvolo to feel that he is the only one that is being submissive to me today. You stated the rules last night, however I want to go over them to ensure you know what I expect from you today. No talking to or about Marvolo. You should also reframe from any conversations that naturally includes all three of us, such as how last night's meeting went, unless I guide the conversation in that direction."

Severus appeared equally serious as he responded, "I know, Harry. I also know that you are equally worried about how Marvolo will react to being in full submission. Speaking from experience, it can be hard at first. My very first dominant tried to put me in full submission as a punishment. I will admit that I threw a bit of a tantrum," Harry had to resist smirking at the light blush that bloomed across Severus' pale cheeks at admitting such a thing. "At first I felt like a child and with me being so independent I could not admit to my need to be looked after at that time. I found having to ask for something as simple as going to the loo to be completely humiliating. I have grown past that, and while it's still not my favorite thing I trust in you to know that you would never mock me if you made me do such a thing. I am sure that Marvolo will feel similar stirrings of humiliation throughout today. I am also sure that you will reassure him and show him how truly loved he is. You are a wonderful Dominant, Harry. Both Marvolo and I are incredibly lucky to have you."

Harry felt love for this amazing man welling up and he could only go to him and hug him tightly. "I love you, Severus. I will never stop being stunned by your willing submission to me. You are so powerful and confident in yourself. It makes me honored that you chose me for your Dominant."

Severus chuckled but hugged him back. "I love you too, Harry. Now, not to overstep my place, but I believe my Master may wish to go see his other submissive."

Now it was Harry's turn to huff out a laugh before giving the man a quick kiss and exiting the bathroom. The sight that awaited him was beautiful.

Marvolo was knelt by the bed, facing the bathroom. His head was touching the ground with both arms stretched out in front of him. There, sitting innocently in the upturned hands, was the black mask.

Marvolo stayed silent, even as Harry approached and Harry felt like he could burst with pride.

Softly he commanded, "You may speak, pet."

"Master, will you place this blindfold on me so that I may better learn to trust in my Dominant and in this relationship?"

"Absolutely, pet. Kneel up for me." Marvolo obediently straightened up while still holding the mask out in both hands. Harry knelt down on one knee in front of his pet and gently took the mask from his hands. Before placing it on, however, he reached forward and softly kissed his brave pet.

"I am so incredibly proud of you. I know that this was a difficult choice and for you to trust me enough to agree makes me very happy."

Harry kept his eyes locked with Marvolo's so the last thing the other man saw before the mask was placed on was Harry's eyes shining with pride, happiness, and love.


	7. No One Said It Would Be This Hard

Marvolo could not take his eyes off the black mask that his Master left lying on the bed. How was he supposed to make a choice like this? Everything in him screamed in protest at even the concept of being blindfolded outside of a scene. The only place he wore a blindfold was in the playroom and that room was warded so completely that absolutely no one could get into it without one of them giving permission. He knew he was safe in there, that no one would see him in such a state. Now, his Master wanted him to wear one in their room. Well, not wanted per say, but was highly encouraging it.

The mask was lying on the bed so innocently. It was such a small thing, yet he felt like his Master wanted him to pull the sun out of the sky. Surely that would be an easier task than volunteering to blind himself for who knows how long.

Even as he came up with all the reasons why it was a terrible idea, why there was no way he could do such a thing, another part of him had already given into the inevitable. Despite all his blustering, he knew he would do this even if he did not want to. He owed it to both himself and his Master to do this and for once, actually _try_ at this relationship instead of running away and ignoring the problems. But damn it, he did not want to wear that mask!

Then, another thought entered his mind. He controlled the manor's wards. He would know if someone entered the property. He would be able to feel them if anyone came near their quarters. It would be safe to wear the mask because he would know if there was a reason to take it off.

Feeling rather pleased with himself for such logic, Marvolo grabbed the mask and continued to kneel calmly on the floor. No point in getting into the proper position when he could still hear the shower running in the other room.

Eventually, the shower turned off and he got into the position his Master had specified. He used these final minutes alone to work on calming and centering himself. He made good use of his occlumency skills to get his emotions under control. When his Master and Severus came out of the bathroom, hot steam billowing after them, he stayed silent and still, waiting for the command to speak.

When the command was given Marvolo spoke the words that he had went over in his mind until he was sure that it would be the right thing to say.

"Master, will you place this blindfold on me so that I may better learn to trust in my Dominant and in this relationship?"

When he knelt up as commanded and saw the love and pride that was almost blinding in the other man's eyes, all he felt was guilt. His Master was so proud of him for agreeing to this vulnerability, thinking that it was his trust in his Master that made him agree, when in reality it was due to the fact that Marvolo still felt in control due to the wards.

His Master was proud of him for a lie. The guilt was crushing as the black mask was placed on his face, magic keeping it in place without the need for it to be tied on. As soon as it was placed on Marvolo prostrated himself once more. He was given permission to speak, but he could hear the confusion in his Master's voice.

"Master, may I transfer the manor's wards to you for today? I- I was planning on relying upon them to tell me if someone else entered the manor, and where they were within, to know that it was safe to have the blindfold on." Marvolo waited in the dark silence, ears straining for any sound that would tell him how his Master was reacting to his words. Already being blind was terrifying.

Finally, a sigh, and then weary spoken words, "Very well, pet, I will take the wards form you. Since you told me what you planned immediately, I will not punish you. I see no reason to punish you for telling me the truth."

His Master didn't say it out loud, but Marvolo could hear the disappointment. As they completed the short ritual to pass the wards over he vowed to himself that he would do better today. He had to.

Of course, his vow to himself was immediately tested as his Master had him stand and began leading him from their rooms. Marvolo's first thought was to panic and protest. He was _naked_ for Salazar's sake. This is not how feared Dark Lords should be seen! The words were on the tip of his tongue until a voice, sounding suspiciously like his Master's, came from the back of his head reminding him of his vow and to trust that he would be safe.

Slowly he unclenched his muscles and forced himself to silently be lead wherever his Master wished. If he kept a mental map of where they were, well, no one could fault the Slytherin. He was greatly relieved to realize he was taken to their private dining rooms which was within their main living quarters, which was more of a full apartment within the mansion.

"Kneel here, pet" was the command he was given when they came to a stop. Carefully, Marvolo knelt and was gratified to feel the cushioning charm beneath his legs. He did not want to imagine the picture they must look, with his Master and Severus fully dressed sitting at the table while he knelt, naked at his Master's side. He took a deep breath in to get as much information from the room as he could with his sight missing. The strongest smell was the black coffee all three men preferred. Underneath that was the subtler scents of their breakfast which must have been brought in before they entered the room.

Marvolo felt a small warming of gratitude for his Master for ensuring that even the house elves wouldn't see him in his current state. His Master was clearly trying, and it made him even more determined to try as well. He did not want to always be fighting his fears nor did he want to ruin this relationship, the first good thing that has happened to him for many years.

He jerked in surprise when a glass suddenly touched his lips but obediently opened his mouth when his Master told him to drink. The first tang of orange juice on his tongue almost caused him to inhale the liquid instead of swallowing it.

"Why – " he began before a sharp sting on his lower back had him silenced immediately even as he jumped in surprise, not expecting his Master to be carrying a riding crop.

"That is your first warning, pet. You may only speak after properly asking and receiving permission. As you have already demonstrated the proper behavior I know that this was not done out of ignorance," stated his Master calmly.

Marvolo hunched his shoulders at already disobeying the commands he was given. It wasn't done intentionally, but he knew he couldn't explain that. His little dose of misery was interrupted by his Master's calm voice telling him to open as callused fingers fed him a piece of bacon. As breakfast continued on, with him being fed different foods and given sips of orange juice as his Master desired, Marvolo was torn in two over the whole experience. Part of him, the independent man that learned over and over to not rely on anyone, screamed at the vulnerable position he put himself into and the indignity of being fed by another's hand. The other part, the small, love-starved child was lapping up the gentle, nonpainful attention he was being given, almost purring. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to give into that side of himself yet. He did manage to stay mostly calm and accept the food as given. He could not control the deep red blush that stained his cheeks though.

It did not help that throughout breakfast the two men talked to each other as if it were a normal day, as if he wasn't kneeling next to a chair completely bare to the world. Severus spoke of his most recent potions work and different ideas he had to improve his formula and his Master in turn spoke about the latest secrecy ward he was working on. Several times he caught himself almost speaking, wanting to comment on an idea he had or a thought on an improvement. Each time he stopped himself in time, but felt more and more petulant as he knelt on the floor, seemingly ignored other than the bits of food he was fed.

He worked himself up more and more, determined to be miserable over being treated like a bloody child, a weak invalid child at that. Him, the Dark Lord, who had hundreds of followers kneel at his feet and thousands of witches and wizards flinch at the mere mention of his name! He would not allow this to continue any longer.

Moments before he planned to surge to his feet and _demand_ he be released from this ridiculous act of submission, a hand landed on his head and gentle fingers wove between the dark strands. At the same time, a smooth voice spoke.

"You are doing very well, pet. I know this is hard and I am proud of you for trying."

Instantly Marvolo deflated as he remembered why he had agreed to all of this in the first place. Logically, he knew his Master wasn't doing this to humiliate him. Again, he reminded himself to try harder and to actually trust his Master. It seemed to be the recurring theme of the day for him. Maybe if he reminded himself enough times it would finally stick.

He used the remaining minutes to work on relaxing his body, not realizing how tense he had become. Muscle by muscle he relaxed in a pattern long familiar to him for it being the start of any mediation routine. Once he was calmer and thinking more rationally, he realized something else. His Master would have easily been able to see the rapid increase in the tensing of his muscles and would have been able to guess that he was close to losing it. His Master intervened and was able to calm him with little effort, ensuring that no punishment was necessary. It was just another reminder that his Master truly was trustworthy.

He tuned back into the other men's conversation when it appeared they were finished with breakfast.

"I will be in my potions lab until lunch. With the school year approaching I need to finish the last of the infirmary's potions for Poppy. Thankfully, most of those potions I can do in my sleep, giving me time to continue working on the animagus potion. Your idea for multiple transformations truly is an intriguing one. Hopefully, I will have a working formula within the next month. If only the old fool stopped bothering me with his useless Order meetings." Severus' voice went from bored to exited to aggravated, amusing Marvolo at the rapid change of emotions from the usually stoic man.

"Enjoy your time down there, though do try not to ruin it with thoughts of the Headmaster. If you need me, I will be in the sitting room. Oh, and Severus, if you are not up here on time for lunch I will send Dobby down to fetch you."

Even blindfolded Marvolo knew there was a smirk on his Master's face as he shuddered at the thought of the little demon that masqueraded as a house elf. In his mind he could see the familiar grimace on the Potion Master's face at the threat of the house elf. He was like the worst traits of a mother hen, child on a sugar high, and the Weasley twins combined. It was truly a terrifying mixture.

He was pulled from his thoughts by his Master gently guiding him to stand and then leading him from the dining room. Knowing where they were going this time calmed Marvolo greatly and he allowed himself to be docilely led to the sitting room. As he knelt once more on the floor, he was thankful for the high-quality carpet that they had installed. It was very soft, allowing them to kneel without any pain. Something that was very necessary considering how often his Master enjoyed playing with both himself and Severus in the room. That was the reason all of their private rooms contained the lush carpet, other than the dining room and bathroom. Of course, in the dining room they were usually laid out on the table for their Master to enjoy his meal…

SMACK!

The sharp pain on the top of his thigh startled him, causing him to cry out. Fingers were once more carded through his hair, but they were less than gentle as they twisted into the strands and jerked his head back.

"You are not here, pet, to get lost in your daydreams and fantasies. I know that you can do better than this," reprimanded his Master, voice thick with displeasure. Only then did Marvolo realize that he had began to harden at his mental wanderings, something that would have been readily apparent with his state of nudity.

Immediately Marvolo knelt down with his head to the floor and arms held in front of him. He forced himself to be still as seconds turned into minutes with nothing but silence ringing through the room. He knew, however, that he could not leave his supplication pose once entered without a command from his Master, either to speak or to kneel up and remain silent. Several minutes passed before the silence was broken.

"Speak, pet." The command was clipped, but the voice was much more neutral than it was previously which Marvolo counted as a good thing.

"I am sorry, Master. I did not intentionally mean to let my mind drift. However, I know that is no excuse for letting it happen. I swear to do better. Please, forgive me for my mistake, Master."

He stayed in the same position as he spoke and while he waited for a response. The sound of fabric against leather was his only warning before a gentle hand lifted his head and soft lips placed a light kiss on his forehead.

"Always, my pet." The words were spoken in a soft voice with obvious love.

With those words as a balm to his very soul, Marvolo settled in to a day of relaxing next to his Master. He focused on the deep, calm breaths and the rhythmic flipping of pages as his Master read through whatever book caught his interest for the day. Eventually the sounds of pages flipping were interspersed with the scratching of a quill. Surprisingly, Marvolo didn't find the sound to be as annoying as it normally was. In fact, the whole experience was rather soothing. His Master was right, he didn't have to make any decisions. All he had to do was kneel where his Master placed him and remain aware for if he was given a command. So far, it was just peaceful silence.

He found that the blindfold was not as annoying as he first thought it would be. Despite lacking his sight, the silent room allowed him to listen for any sounds that were out of place as well as to be able to easily keep track of what his Master was doing.

At some point, his relaxed haze was broken by the realization that he needed to go to the loo. Immediately his muscles tensed as he worried about how that would be accomplished. Would he be allowed to take off the blindfold so he could see what he was doing? Did his Master plan on escorting him to the bathroom and even… helping him? Would he even be allowed to speak or would he be ignored?

Realizing that his thoughts were spiraling towards panic Marvolo forced himself to take a deep breath, followed by another, then another. None of his questions would be answered if he did not first try to ask his Master. Knowing the entire purpose of this exercise was to increase trust, he decided to trust that his Master would take care of him. Muscles a bit jerky, Marvolo once more knelt down in his supplication position.

The response was almost immediate. "What do you need, pet?" The question was not asked with condescension but instead with love and care.

"I need to use the loo, Master." He could not stop the quaver of his voice, but he was still satisfied that he was able to speak his needs.

"Very well, stand up, pet." Marvolo stood and was once more guided through their rooms until his feet touched the cold stone of their bathroom. He began to get more nervous as his Master led him to where he knew the toilet was located but made no sign of leaving him to his privacy. When he felt his Master step up behind him, one arm wrapping around his chest and the other lower down to hold him steady, Marvolo froze. He could not believe his Master planned on helping him, holding him as he took care of his needs.

They remained that way, silent and still, his Master obviously waiting for Marvolo to come to a decision. In the end, his bladder made the decision for him and he gave up to the inevitable. His eyes were squeezed shut, pretending that this wasn't happening. That included the bright blush that covered his cheeks. Finally, the traumatic event was done with and Marvolo stood next to the sink listening to the water run and smelling the wisps of soap that his Master was washing his hands with. While waiting he decided that this event was _never_ going to be thought or spoken of again. He will happily pretend it never happened. The kiss on his head and words of encouragement were not enough to change his mind either.

When they resumed their spots in the sitting room Marvolo tried to relax back into that soothing haze he spent the majority of the morning in. However, forbidden thoughts of the event that _never_ occurred kept trying to make their way into his mind. He couldn't even occlude properly with the embarrassing thoughts swirling around.

He was never more thankful than when Severus came into the sitting room and asked if Harry was ready for lunch. He would be able to focus on something else so his mind would be occupied with non-forbidden thoughts. Almost eagerly he followed his Master into the dining room. He had a fleeting thought to how much easier it was becoming to follow his Master's cues on where to go without hesitating or slowly shuffling his feet in fear of hitting something.

Lunch was very similar to breakfast. Marvolo silently knelt, waiting for the next morsel his Master held to his lips. It wasn't so bad this time, especially when he realized that he could use this time to suck and nibble on his Master's fingers. Since he wasn't reprimanded for it, he continued taking little liberties each time the deft fingers approached his mouth. Not once was he fed something that he did not like or that was too hot or cold for him to handle. When he realized this, he took the chance to softly kiss his Master's hand in a show of love and gratitude. The warm chuckle and tender caress were reward enough.

Maybe this really wasn't so horrible. Before – _that –_ happened he was enjoying the morning quite a bit once he was able to relax. It was also true that his Master had hand fed both himself and Severus before, usually after a scene, which always gave Marvolo a warm glow. This wasn't so different. As long as they were in private, he could let himself enjoy this simple action, he thought. Of course, if the man ever tried this in public he would curse him into the next century.

After lunch Severus mentioned returning to the labs until dinner and his Master brought him back to the sitting room. He easily knelt but was surprised when he felt his Master's callused hand run along his face. Tilting his head into the caress he waited to see what was going to happen next.

"You are doing amazingly well, pet. I am very proud of how well you are accepting all that I have asked of you today. There is one more thing that I want to do before we are done. Before that, I want to remind you that you can use your safewords at any point today. If you start to become overwhelmed, I expect you to use 'squib' to slow down and 'Godric' to stop what we are doing. I will always respect your safewords."

This was not as reassuring as he was sure his Master meant it to be. What exactly was planned that he needed reminded of his safewords? Besides that one week near the start of their relationship where he safeworded every chance he got to just prove that he could (his Master was less than amused and even thinking back on it causes his backside to twinge in phantom pain), he had never had to use his safeword. He soon received his answer and cursed himself for asking, even if it was only in his head.

"Now, for the rest of the time I want to tie your hands behind your back."

Immediately Marvolo's breath sped up and it felt like his heart beat tried to jump out of his throat. The room was silent as he fought to control his reaction and think logically. After five minutes he shakily folded his hands behind his back, silently acquiescing to the command.

He twitched as the smooth rope rubbed against his skin but managed to stay in place as his hands were tied behind him. The whole time his Master kept up a smooth string of praise, trying to help him relax himself.

Finally, the hands were gone and the room became silent once more. Marvolo couldn't help but to jerk at the bindings, seeing if there was any give to them, any way to get them off. They were solid, keeping his arms completely immobile.

It was like a switch was flipped.

His mind and body plummeted into panic mode. All he could imagine was Dumbledore walking through the door, followed by his bloody order of flying chickens, all laughing at him as he was bound naked next to their Golden Boy. He could hear their taunts, especially that mongrel Black. He could see the flashing of their cameras as they talked of giving pictures of the so called 'fierce Dark Lord" to the papers and handing them out throughout Diagon Alley.

"Behold the feared Dark Lord! An Obedient pet for our Savior!"

In the midst of his panic he didn't even realize that he was writhing on the ground as he tried to escape the ropes or the cries and whimpers that fell from his mouth.

SMACK!

* * *

Harry watched in surprise as Marvolo went from being on edge but obedient to outright panic in a matter of seconds. He could hear a few words in the panicked cries, demands to be released and to not do 'it', whatever that was. He did the first thing he could think of to snap his pet out of his panic. Sliding to the floor he grabbed the riding crop he had kept with him all day and landed one sharp slap to the already bruised cheek. The slap was light, he didn't intend to hurt his pet, but wanted the loud sound and sudden sting to bring his pet back to the present. The man jerked at the sound and then stilled immediately. The only sounds in the room were his harsh pants as he tried not to hyperventilate.

"There you go. Just listen to my voice and no one else. You are safe. We are the only two in the room and no one else is in the manor besides Severus who is still in his labs. Relax for me now. Whose voice are you listening to?" He kept his voice soothing as he ran a hand over the lightly trembling back and arms.

"Y-yours, Master," was the quavering reply.

"Very good, that's right. My voice is the only one you should hear. Take a deep breath for me, pet. Perfect, just like that. Now let it out. Good boy, you are doing great. Keep listening to my voice and take another deep breath. That's right, exhale now."

Harry kept of the litany of reassurances and commands to breath until his pet was calmed down.

"Alright, lets get you knelt up now." With Marvolo's help he was able to get them arranged so he was sitting on the couch once more with Marvolo knelt next to him, his head resting against Harry's leg. He knew that the contact was important to helping his pet recover after his bout of panic.

Once he felt his pet was sufficiently calmed, Harry spoke once more, this time his voice had and edge of steel to it.

"I know that at times you let your mind overwhelm you with panic as you imagine some scenario. I know that you have had nightmares from the same thing." His pet jerked in surprise and Harry chuckled darkly, "Oh yes, I know about those. I have never pushed you to open up about them, hoping that you would come to one of us. Yet, you have not. Even worse, you don't seem to be dealing with them yourself. Well, that is coming to an end. Later tonight we will sit down and you will speak about these nightmares of yours," his voice softening he continued on, "I can't help you if I don't know the problem, pet. You have suffered for too long and I hate to see you in pain like that. We'll figure it out together. For now, just relax. The same rules still apply. If you need anything then place your head on the ground."

He could see the tenseness in his pet's body. Clearly at the moment relaxing was the farthest thing from his mind. He just sat there, running his hand through his pet's hair as he picked up his book on secrecy wards to continue his research.

While reading he kept an eye on the clock. He had given Severus a note to come to the sitting room an hour after they finished lunch. While the panic attack was a surprise, Harry did not want to have to disrupt his schedule. He needed Marvolo at least partially calm before he could take the next step, which was supposed to happen twenty minutes before Severus was due. Thankfully, he had roughly twenty minutes until then.

Harry let the quite room relax him and was pleased to see Marvolo do the same, albeit much slower and a tad reluctantly. Once it was time Harry placed his book to the side and stopped the fingers running through the other man's hair that he had kept up.

"Stand up for me, pet," he softly commanded. The response was immediate although it took a few seconds to stand without the use of his arms. Gently he tugged his pet down until Marvolo was laid out across his lap, the perfect position for a spanking. Harry grabbed a pillow to place under his pet's head, which was to his left, so his neck wouldn't cramp. Then, with a smirk, he grabbed his book and rested it against the other man as he began to read once more.

Initially, Marvolo stayed tense, probably confused about why he was there and what was going to happen. Harry had to hold in his amused chuckle when he saw disgust flash across his face when he placed the book against the other man. Clearly, he did not appreciate being used as a bookrest.

After five minutes of this Harry used his right hand to trace random patterns against his pet's lower back, ass, and thighs. The touch was non-sexual, but still caused a shiver to race through the prone body. Soon enough his innocent touch turned not so innocent as fingers delved between cheeks and started to probe the tight hole. Marvolo was doing a wonderful job of remaining silent and Harry couldn't help but to push that. With a silent spell, Harry speared one finger in deep, the conjured lube preventing any injury. Other than the sharp inhale, the room remained silent.

Harry continued playing, thoroughly enjoying the silent, pliant body on his lap. At some point he completely abandoned the pretense of reading and set his book aside, which conveniently freed his left hand to join in on the teasing.

Harry was up to three fingers when the door silently opened and Severus cautiously stepped inside. He held his finger to his lips indicating silence and then motioned Severus forward. A swift push against his pet's prostate was all the distraction that was needed. If Harry rubbed that same spot for longer than strictly necessary, who could blame him?

Once Severus was standing right in front of him he nodded his head for permission to move forward with the plan. At lunch they silently wrote back and forth while talking so Severus would know what Harry was wanting. Making sure that he had both hands on his pet, he watched in nervous anticipation as Severus also placed his hand on the middle of Marvolo's back.

The reaction took a few seconds for Marvolo to realize in his pleasurable haze that there was a third hand on his back that couldn't possibly belong to Harry. Quickly, he had to change his teasing touches to a strong hold as Marvolo yelped and began twisting back and forth on his lap, most likely trying to escape the foreign hand.

Harry spoke loudly with some force to his voice, "Easy, pet. Use that large brain of yours. Who would I allow in this room and to even touch you when you are in such a state? Think, pet, control your panic and think!"

Marvolo stilled and panted for several seconds before saying questioningly, "Severus?"

Harry motioned for the man in question to answer, "Indeed. Our Master would allow no one else to even enter the room," was the dry response as he withdrew his hand but remained standing in the same spot.

Harry returned to the caressing and probing touches as Marvolo tried to calm himself from the latest bout of panic. Harry kept at it until he renewed the arousal that had wilted against his leg.

"You have done amazingly well, pet. I am very proud of the effort you have put into trusting me today. Even just now shows how much you trust in me to keep you safe. While you did panic slightly, your magic never lashed out, and you were easily able to think past that panic. I think that you deserve a reward for all the progress you have made today. Don't you agree, boy?"

Severus smirked lightly but easily dropped his eyes in a show of submission, "Absolutely, Master."

Harry chuckled and pulled his hands away from his pet's body, "Up you get, pet."

Once both submissives were standing before him Harry spread his legs wide and pulled Marvolo down once more, so he was sitting in front of him, Marvolo's back to Harry's chest.

"Put your legs on the outside of mine, pet. You want to be nice and wide open for your reward."

Once their legs were crossed from the knee down Harry pulled his pet tight against him, wanting the other man to feel his clothing rubbing against bare skin. He wanted his pet to feel the vulnerability of being the only one undressed in the room.

Harry ran his mouth from the sensitive right ear, down the pale neck and across the broad shoulder, occasionally nipping the smooth skin and soothing the slight sting with his tongue. He made the return trip back to the ear, letting his tongue play over the ridged cartilage.

"Do you want me to allow my boy to use his talented mouth on your cock? Do you want me to have him swallow you down deep and use that sinful tongue to take you over the edge?" His voice slid down into a more dominate tone while his hand lightly ran over the already engorged appendage.

"Yes, Master!" was practically moaned out.

Harry chuckled darkly, "Then ask me nicely, pet."

Another moan rang through the room at the demand. Marvolo wasn't the only one effected as a large tent appeared in Severus' trousers as the man had his eyes locked on the bright red head, his tongue idly running over his lips.

"Please, Master, may I be allowed to have your boy's mouth on my cock?"

Harry's own cock jumped hearing those words said so easily.

"How could I say no when you asked so prettily? You know what to do, boy. No teasing this time, it is a reward after all."

He nearly laughed at how eagerly Severus dropped to his knees. At the first warm touch of Severus's mouth, Marvolo's hands tensed and grabbed hold of Harry's shirt, desperately needing something to keep him grounded with the pleasurable assault. Harry contented himself to playing with the sensitive nipples and occasionally gently raking his nails across the pale skin.

"Oh, and since this is a reward, you may come whenever you want, pet," stated Harry offhandedly, as if he just remembered to say so. Marvolo moaned again at the announcement and threw his head back so it was resting against Harry's left shoulder. He didn't mind, of course, as it allowed him a wonderful view of his pet's cock sliding in and out of pink lips. The look of bliss on both submissives' faces was also a great sight to see.

As Marvolo got closer to the edge Harry began whispering in his ear, asking him if he liked the feel of his boy's silky hot mouth wrapped around him, if he wanted to plunge deep into that heat and fuck the man's mouth, how his boy was eager to taste every drop of come that he gave. Harry delighted in the moans and little cries that escaped his pet as he fully gave into the pleasure.

It did not take long for Marvolo to cry out, his muscles tensing as his hips jerked forward, body arched up as he sent pulsing strings of come down Severus' throat. Harry held him through his orgasm and gently caressed his sides and chest to help bring him back down. Severus also helped with giving little licks (kitten licks in Harry's mind, not that he would ever admit it out loud) to the softening cock, cleaning it from any of the mess that was made. Harry and Severus valiantly ignored their own still hard cocks, both knowing that this was a time for Marvolo and not themselves.

Once Marvolo had relaxed, Harry gently tipped him forward so his head rested on Severus' shoulder while he undid the ropes binding his arms together. As he went he rubbed the muscles, making sure that only slight compression marks were left as the only sign of their activities. Once his arms were released Harry pulled Marvolo back so he was resting against his chest once more. With a whispered command to close his eyes he pulled off the black mask and set it to the side.

"There you go, my love. Open your eyes slowly."

Soon ruby eyes were revealed, and Harry pulled his lover into a sweet kiss. When they pulled back Harry reach down and tugged Severus up to him, kissing his other lover as well. He smiled when Marvolo and Severus shared a kiss of their own before Severus sat on the couch, so all three men were touching one another.

They stayed that way until it was time for dinner, knowing that serious talks would be waiting for them.

* * *

 **AN:** I am considering posting an outtake of Severus helping Marvolo choose his safewords and shooting down all the terrible ideas Marvolo comes up with at the beginning of their relationship if people are interested. If so, let me know. I will also accept any ideas of ridiculous safewords that Marvolo could come up with. As always, I will give credit to whoever came up with the idea if I do incorporate it into the story.


	8. A Time to Talk

Dinner was a quiet affair, each man lost in their own thoughts about both the future and the past. Harry let them remain silent as he contemplated the last several days that seemed much longer than they really were. Marvolo seemed to have made real progress that afternoon and Harry was hopeful that they could move past this issue. While he knew that it would take longer to get past some of his control issues and his belief that he only had himself to rely on when it came to the war and his Death Eaters, Harry was hopeful that Marvolo would at least begin communicating more openly with both himself and Severus. Tonight would be the true test when they began to speak about his nightmares. Hopefully, he would willingly open up on his own. Harry wasn't sure what he would do if this wasn't the case. Punishment had never been his favorite part of their type of relationship, but he knew how necessary it was for all three of them. Still, last night was the worst punishment that Marvolo had ever received and he did not want to have to go that far again.

Beyond that, Harry felt rather guilty regarding Severus. It was so rare that all three were able to gather together and he felt that he had been neglecting his lover. He never wanted Severus to grow angry with their relationship or feel insecure about his place within it. He loved the both of them so much. He did not want to contemplate what his life without them would have been like. Severus who was so snarky even when tied down and stuffed with a cock up his arse and yet could still be the perfect submissive when he wanted to. The man could be so playful when he let himself relax and drop the masks that he had to wear throughout most of his life.

Then there was his Marvolo, who was so broken initially. The rituals that broke his soul also broke his mind. When Harry and diary Tom worked together to return the Dark Lord to his full sanity Marvolo was horrified by what he had become and what he had lost without knowing it. The trauma from his early life as well as that of surviving so long with his soul splintered made the man wholly untrusting, although that sharp edge of paranoia mostly went away but still cropped up occasionally. Harry had to work so hard to get the man to trust both him and Severus as well as to open up to the idea of being in a relationship with both men. It was obvious to both him and Severus that underneath it all Marvolo was a submissive. That wasn't to say it was an easy task to get him to admit to it. Still, their relationship was something he would never give up, something he was willing to fight for. With that in mind he stood up from the table.

"Let's move to the sitting room where we can be comfortable as we talk." His voice was calm, giving his two lovers the courage needed to follow along. As the other two men settled into their usual chairs Harry moved to the side bar and poured a measure of firewhiskey into three tumblers. With a wave of wandless magic two of the glasses were levitated to the seated men as Harry walked to his own seat. Once all three were settled Harry turned his attention to Marvolo.

"I want you to tell us of one of your nightmares. It does not have to be your worst nightmare; your deepest, darkest fear. It doesn't even need to be a recent nightmare, if you want you can tell us about a nightmare you had while you were younger. Take as much time as you need, pause however many times you like, but before we go to sleep tonight one of your nightmares will be revealed. We will continue this each night as we can until we have worked through each and every one." Harry was firm with his statements, not letting there be any room for Marvolo, the crafty Slytherin, to manipulate his way out of it.

Severus spoke next, but where Harry was firm, Severus was soft, cajoling, almost pleading. "Please, Marvolo, let us help you, let us share your burden. I love you, and I don't want to see you in pain, especially when I can help prevent it."

Marvolo blushed lightly but soon had a grimace on his features, "You two are both too sentimental. What kind of Dark Lords are you?"

Harry knew that he was being difficult as a defense mechanism. In any other situation Harry might have joked about using other methods to get it out of him, like fucking it out of him, but he was too experienced to let a bratty sub lead him away from the topic he wanted.

"Start talking, Marvolo," demanded Harry with a glare, not playing the game Marvolo wanted. When he checked on Severus' reaction to their lover's words, he was pleased to see simple exasperation and nothing more. To be fair, what is a classroom of petulant teenagers with the ability to poison the whole room compared to one Dark Lord?

Marvolo looked away at being caught, but Harry was patient and let the silence stretch until his little pet was ready to give in. Eventually his patience was rewarded as Marvolo started speaking.

"One of the earliest nightmares that I am able to remember is from when I was still in the orphanage… after my first exorcism." Marvolo's voice was soft and distant, with several long pauses, but eventually the entire story unfolded to his patient audience. "It was a recurring dream that I had… still have occasionally. It was never a very vivid dream, more, feelings, impressions, then outright images. It was always pitch black and I was laying on a hard surface. All I could feel were hands grasping me, holding me down. No matter how hard I tried to escape it would never work. When I tried to reach for my magic it was either not there, simple gone, or I would be unable to use it. There were no sounds, other than my screams."

By this time Harry had moved to sit next to Marvolo and was gently rubbing his back while staying silent. The dream wasn't overly surprising, and he was sure it was probably one of the tamest of his pet's nightmares. After Marvolo trailed off and remained silent Harry wrapped his arms around the tense shoulders in a gentle hug.

"I am so proud of you, Marvolo, for so many reasons. Thank you for sharing this with us, for trusting us with your nightmares. I am proud of you for opening up. Hearing this one example makes me so proud to be your Dominant. Many would not have the strength to submit, to be willingly tied down or restrained in any way. And yet you, my amazing little pet, trust me enough to do just that and even blind fold you in an almost perfect recreation of your nightmare."

At this Marvolo jerks his head around to look at Harry directly with a quick denial on his tongue, "No! You are nothing like those _muggles_ that feared me and tried to remove a demon from me. You never try to truly harm me. Punishments may hurt, but I know that you love me, and they aren't meant to truly harm. And even when I am restrained I trust both you and Severus to keep me safe."

Harry rewarded that declaration with a deep kiss, his tongue probing into his pet's sweet mouth. For a short period he got lost in the sensations of his amazing lover and just savored the moment, only breaking apart when the lack of oxygen became a pressing concern. As they broke apart Severus stood to join them on the same couch, sitting on the opposite side of Marvolo.

"Thank you, Marvolo, for sharing with us, as well as for your trust in me." He also gave Marvolo a kiss, although Harry noticed it was much shorter than his own. Harry let the room settle into silence as they cuddled with each other, just enjoying each other's presence. After five minutes Harry broke the comfortable silence but didn't bother to move apart from the other two.

"There are two other topics that I wish to discuss tonight. The first is your day in full submission, Marvolo, and the second being our first meeting with the Inner Circle."

"I believe it wise to leave our meeting for last as it will be the most in depth and time consuming," stated Severus while glancing questionably to Marvolo for his opinion.

"I agree, Severus, although I'm sure this is simply a conspiracy to force me to talk more," Marvolo teased. Harry smiled at the joke, pleased that his pet was in high enough spirits to tease them. Maybe they were making progress after all.

Harry let the two banter back and forth for a few minutes, allowing Marvolo to release the last of his tension from their first discussion. Finally, he broke them apart with a quick kiss to first Marvolo, who was mid-sentence, and then a second one for Severus who was laughing at the indignant look on Marvolo's face at being cut off in such a way.

"Now then, this is just a check-in, same as we always do after any new scene." Harry had made sure these types of check-ins were an integral part of their relationship. In any BDSM relationship, communication is key, especially after trying anything new. He always made sure to ask for his subs' impressions, what they liked, disliked, and if anything came close to them needing to safeword. Harry hoped that this conversation would be far less emotional for Marvolo than their first talk. The man may be better at understanding and dealing with his own emotions and those around him, but by no means did he want to most of the time. In fact, Harry wouldn't be surprised if Marvolo went and tortured some poor sap after Severus and himself had to leave the manor.

Marvolo huffed out a breath in annoyance but didn't hesitate to start in on the new topic. "Overall, the experience was less horrible than I had initially imagined it to be. It would not be incorrect to say that I would find it acceptable in repeating certain portions of the day."

Harry couldn't help but to laugh at the roundabout way of saying that yes, he did find enjoyment throughout the day, and yes, he would like certain parts to be incorporated in their play.

"I'm glad that you found it _less horrible_ than you imagined, pet. Truly, what a glowing endorsement," stated Harry with a wry grin.

Marvolo scowled back, but the very start of a blush could be seen on his pale cheeks.

"I realized during lunch that you were only giving me foods that were neither too hot nor cold, as well as only items that I like. It made me feel cared for and showed me just how much attention you were paying to me even while talking with Severus. I also enjoyed the morning in the sitting room. It was oddly soothing to relax and do nothing other than listen to your quill. My mind was silent since I couldn't allow it to wander like what initially happened. It was peaceful."

Harry smiled at the words, glad that Marvolo truly did enjoy the day.

"However, the bathroom incident that _never happened_ will remain that way, forever." Marvolo had a deep scowl on his face as he glared at Harry, who was busy laughing hysterically.

Severus glanced between the two with a smirk. "I would ask, but I am sure I would rather not know more than the suspicions I already have."

"It never happened!" exclaimed Marvolo while refusing to meet either man's eyes.

Harry got control of himself and placed a gentle kiss on Marvolo's cheek, which was suspiciously warm. "You did great, Marvolo. I am pleased that you enjoyed your first time in full submission. I will keep in mind the things that you enjoyed and see what I can incorporate into our normal play. Severus, how do you feel about today?"

The Potion's Master was silent for a few minutes as he gathered his thoughts. "At first it was rather different. You are our Dominant, both of ours. If we are both present, then any time you take control, it is for both of us. Yet today, it was very clear that only Marvolo was in a submissive role. It took some time, but I adjusted to the different thought process. I want to assure you both, though, I was not jealous of the attention you were getting, Marvolo. I am satisfied knowing that you benefited from the day of submission with our Master."

Marvolo and Severus shared another kiss and once they broke apart Harry leaned across Marvolo to give Severus his own kiss.

"I love the both of you, my two amazing lovers." The two older men shared a look before looking back at Harry with a smirk.

"We love you too, our sexy Dom," they stated in sync.

"Brats," chuckled Harry with amusement brightening his green eyes. "Now, the last topic for the night; the inner circle meeting."

Severus' eyes lit up with dark amusement, which his voice reflected, "Now that, was amusing. I never thought I would see the day that Lucius Malfoy would blush. Even when we were young, he had perfected his cold, aloof, pureblood mask."

"Indeed, I was hard pressed to not break out in laughter when he first entered. The others' reactions were just as satisfying," agreed Harry with his own smirk gracing his lips. "Though I am not so naïve as to believe that we will have no problems after only one meeting. The lot of you are all sneaky Slytherins. If there are not at least a dozen attempts at subterfuge before they accept our leadership I will be surprised."

"You speak as if you are not a snake yourself, just one hiding in red and gold," drawled Marvolo with a pointed stare.

Harry blithely ignored the other man's comment and turned to Severus for his opinion. The man quirked his lips but followed Harry's que.

"No, I doubt they will give in peacefully, especially Bellatrix and Lucius. I expect we will face many problems from the both of them, both subtle and outright. We will have to ensure that it never turns into outright disloyalty. Both know far too many secrets for them to be allowed to defect from our side."

"Bellatrix has always fancied me, as well as believing herself to be the most loyal of my followers. Even after her punishment last night I doubt she will give into your leadership any time in the near future. However, her devotion to me will undoubtedly keep her from ever defecting to the side of the Light. Lucius could be more of a concern, though. I have doubted his true loyalty for many years now, whether it is for me, for our cause, power, or simply himself."

Harry nodded at both of their assessments and added in his own thoughts on Lucius. "I may have solved part of that problem already. When I kept Lucius behind after our meeting, I was going to command him to look into my seats on the Wizengamot and why I am not actively sitting them. We know that it is Dumbledore who is in control of them and at the moment I cannot take them over without causing suspicion. It is my hope that with Lucius' prodding Dumbledore will be forced into handing them over without ever knowing it is what I truly want. However, Lucius thought it would be a good idea to try and attack me, going so far as attempting to cast the Cruciatus." He had to pause there at the angry wash of magic coming from his two companions. Instead of feeling uncomfortable in such an atmosphere he reveled in feeling the powerful magic of his lovers' while knowing that both men would submit to him in an instant if he asked it of them. "Of course, he failed miserably and was punished for his ineptuousness. I did not know it would take so little to get the proud Malfoy begging, though."

"Now that is one memory that I must see," stated Severus with a sadistic grin on his lips, easily mirrored by Marvolo at his side. Harry shared their grin and easily met Severus' eyes while lowering his Occlumency shields in a blatant offer to see the memory in his mind. The sadistic grin softened into something more tender and loving at the obvious show of trust and Harry remained relaxed as Severus gently pushed into his mind to view the desired memory. A few minutes later Severus pulled back out and the sadistic grin was back in full force, along with a deep amused chuckle. Harry grinned at him while turning to meet Marvolo's eyes to repeat the same procedure. After both viewed the memory Harry returned his shields to full strength and waited for them to process what they saw.

"You are evil, my love. Evil and very creative, but yes, that should work very nicely to bring the Malfoy to heel for the time being." Marvolo chuckled in appreciation. Severus was quick to voice his agreement while still smirking at the memory.

"Not to interrupt your internal gloating but there is more to discuss with the meeting," Harry interrupted dryly. "For instance, Teodred surprised me greatly. He was quick to accept our new position, not hesitating to use our titles or to swear his loyalty. The others showed at least a small measure of hesitation, even if some put it aside quickly."

Both men nodded at this, clearly agreeing with his assessment of their followers.

"Teodred was my first follower, and has been loyal to me and my cause from the beginning, never wavering in his devotion. I believe it is his trust in me that allowed him to accept both of you so easily, but do not think that you have his loyalty yet. He will follow but you will both have to work to earn his trust and loyalty."

Severus and Harry nodded easily, not doubting or disagreeing with their lover. Neither were upset with such words either. Harry would rather have someone intelligent in the Inner Circle then the blind followers that were the majority of Outer Circle.

Harry turned to the other two and voiced a thought that all three were trying to ignore, "The school year starts in a few weeks. Severus will be able to attend most of the meeting since Dumbledore expects it of him, however I will have more difficulty attending them throughout the year. Should we set up a full meeting before then?" He made sure to ask their opinions as in this they are all equals and he wanted to ensure they knew it.

Marvolo appeared rather unhappy with the mention of the school year, and his voice echoed his disgruntlement, "It will be difficult with both of you being so far away. We survived last year, and with this being your last, Harry, we will persevere through this one as well. As for the meeting, it would be suspicious if you were introduced but did not show up to any of the meetings during the school year."

Severus was silent as he contemplated the problem. "Perhaps a magical construct could sit in your place, especially for the full meetings. With enough power it is theoretically possible to control the construct from a distance instead of giving it pre-planned instructions. It would be something that would take practice before being implemented."

Harry perked up at the new knowledge even as his mind went over new plans that could be achieved with such a spell. Marvolo was also contemplating the information.

"It is possible that casting in parseltongue would lend more power to the spell. It is indeed something we will need to test in the coming weeks. If we get it working before the school year then I would agree that a full meeting would be ideal."

"I agree, although we should hold another Inner Circle meeting since yesterday was only about introductions and changing the new marks."

"Agreed," stated both Harry and Marvolo with no hesitation.

"I have to return to the Dursley's in the next two days but next week would be ideal for a second meeting," continued Harry.

There was limited conversation after that, just a few more minutes of hashing out the details of the newest meeting before the room descended into a comfortable silence.

"Come, let's go to bed. I'm ready to cuddle my two boys." His reward was too bright blushes and a scowl for daring to utter the word 'cuddle'. Harry ignored the scowl while delighting in the blushes. He lazily stood up and stretched his muscles before pulling the two men to their feet and towards their bedroom. Harry knew that soon he wouldn't be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of sharing a bed with his two lovers and planned on enjoying every moment he could.


End file.
